Muen Magazine May 2009 Part 1

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As I L ay Dying

Metal Blade Rec.

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AS I LAY DYING'S FIRST EVER DVD ʻTHIS IS WHO WE ARE' HITS BILLBOARD CHARTS!

Metal Blade Records is proud to announce AS I LAY DYING's continued chart success with the band's brand new and first ever DVD release, This is Who We Are, which entered the Billboard Top Music Videos Chart at the #2 position in the US and #3 posi-

tion in Canada where the DVD has already shipped platinum. The San Diego based Grammy Nominated metalers AS I LAY DYING have appeared on TASTE OF CHAOS, OZZFEST, headlined the 2006 SOUNDS OF THE UNDERGROUND Tour, CORNERSTONE, BAMBOOZLE 2006, and just about every significant hard music festival around the globe. With ʻThis Is

CONTENT

ACE ENDERS PG. 76 ALL THAT REMAINS PG. 6 AS I LAY DYING PG. 2 AUTUMNʼS END PG. 84 BELLA MORTE PG. 34 BUDGIES PG. 86 DANGEROUS NEW MACHINE PG. 55 ENDLESS HALLWAY PG. 80 GORY BLISTER PG. 87 HATEBREED PG. 3 LAZARUS A.D. PG. 11 MALEFICE PG. 51

METAL KNIGHTS PG. 63 OTEP PG. 3 PANDEMIC PG. 17 RYAN GREENE (Producer) PG. 27 SACRED OATH PG. 42 SEVENDUST PG. 40 SKUMLOVE PG. 61 SNOT PG. 65 SPECTRUM-X PG. 48 STRAIGHT LINE STITCH PG. 73 THE PARLOR MOB PG. 38 THE SPEKTRUM PG. 70

THE URGENCY PG. 23 WORLD UNDER PG. 21

The bandʼs brutal live show, documented in last yearʼs #1 Billboard charting DVD, LIVE DOMINANCE, is set to hit 30 cities, beginning in Rochester, NY on July 31, 2009, wrapping up on September 2, 2009.

Main support on all the dates will come from Chimaira. When asked about the tour frontman Jamey Jasta had this to say, “"It's been over a On the heels of the highly anticiyear since we've done a compated covers album, FOR THE plete United States tour and we LIONS (in stores May 5th on E1 haven't played some of these Music), hardcore-metal leaders places in ages so we're really HATEBREED announce a new amped to hit the road in support headline U.S. summer tour entiof For The Lions and play for all tled Decimation of the Nation, of our die-hards!" presented by Hot Topic.

HATEBREED

AS I LAY DYING Continued...

Myspace.com/hatebreed

with live performances and a complete AS I LAY DYING audio/viWho We Are,ʼ AS I LAY sual history with footage DYING steps into new spanning the band's enterritory by releasing the tire career from their band's first ever DVD humble beginnings to consisting of a 3-disc their current and ongoDVD set that's packag- ing success. ing is made up entirely of recycled materials and was produced and directed by Denise Korycki (Cannibal CorpseCenturies of Torment DVD). This Is Who We Are provides viewers

your typical type, but one who does create a buzz, and whom creates some very thought provoking songs and if that isnʼt enough, actually finds time to get OTEP SIGNS TO herself involved in VICTORY “causes” ranging from RECORDS environmental to social issues. SMASH THE Myspace.com/Otep CONTROL MACHINE!!! Recording Finally it is done. Could begins May 5th --- IN Otep be labeled a STORES AUGUST media darling? Not 18th!!

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ALL

PG. 6 - MUEN Magazine May 2009 Part 1

THAT

REMAINS INTERVIEW BY SHAUNA OʼDONNELL

ALL THAT REMAINS

MUEN Magazine May 2009 Part 1 - PG. 7

(Prosthetic Records/ Razor & Tie)

Mike Martin (Guitar) Springfield, MA

By: Shauna OʼDonnell

MUEN: LETʼS START OFF BY BRINGING UP THE FACT THAT YOU GUYS WERE ONE OF THE PERFORMERS AT THE FIRST EVER HARD ROCK AND HEAVY METAL AWARDS SHOW… THE “EPIPHONE REVOLVER GOLDEN GODS AWARDS.” WHAT A HUGE HONOR. WHAT DID IT FEEL LIKE TO BE CHOSEN?

nie Paul from Pantera went up and said that she did a good job after we played, so the fact that Vinnie Paul was rocking out during our set pretty much makes me want to jump around in circles. Yeah, Jeanne said she thinks she peed herself a little bit. (Everyoneʼs laughing)

It was really cool because only five bands got chosen. Everyone kept asking if we were nominated for any awards. We werenʼt, but I thought getting asked MUEN: THAT IS SO AWESOME. to play was kind of like winning an award, so it Yeah, we saw Alice in was cool. Chains again; we just saw them in Australia MUEN: GIVE ME and actually got to meet SOME OF THE HIGHone of them. They reLIGHTS OF YOUR EVENING. WHAT WAS membered me so I thought that was really YOUR FAVORITE PART OF THE SHOW? cool. They are one of my favorite bands ever. Jeanne told me that Vin- Those were the two

highlights.

MUEN: YOUR LATEST ALBUM ʻOVERCOMEʼ WAS RELEASED LAST SEPTEMBER AND IT HAS EARNED YOU INTERNATIONAL ACCLAIM. DID YOU EVER THINK THE BAND WOULD BE THIS BIG?

would happen. Itʼs really cool.

MUEN: I KNOW A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT ARE THERE TODAY. ITʼS PRETTY CROWDED HUH?

Itʼs sold out both days from what I understand. It should be a good one. Itʼs a homecoming for No, everything has sur- us because it is only passed our expectations forty minutes from our already. We just hope it houses. Itʼs a hometown show for us, basically. keeps surpassing. There is a lot of stuff MUEN: WHAT DO YOU that has happened already that we definitely THINK SETS THIS ALBUM APART FROM never thought would YOUR PREVIOUS happen. We are headlining the “New England ONES? Metal Fest” today! We There are a lot more are the main band; I never even thought that vocal and guitar

and everybody just goes THIS RECORD? “Cool.” He is sitting right next to MUEN: WHAT IS YOUR me. Can I swear? ROLE IN THE WRITING PROCESS? MUEN: YES YOU CAN, ABSOLUTELY, GO I would say not so much FOR IT. from a material standpoint, but from an (Everyone is laughing) arrangement standpoint. Heʼs a dick. Heʼs right I pick apart the order here so I had to call him that we are putting stuff a name real quick. He in. That is basically has been an awesome everyoneʼs role. Oli is influence. Our last the bulk songwriter and drummer was kind of a MUEN: SO ITʼS A MIX everyone else throws in big whiner. Itʼs kind of OF HARD METAL how it should go and if nice to have someone in WITH MELODY? we should change a riff the band thatʼs creative or tweak things a little and doesnʼt suck. It was Yeah, people get pissed bit. Most of the actual a pretty smooth transioff sometimes when you material comes from Oli. tion having him come in. have a lot of singing, but Metallica has all singing MUEN: THERE ARE A MUEN: WELL, NOand they are the biggest LOT OF DIFFERENT BODY LIKES A band on the planet. INFLUENCES GOING WHINER. YOU HAVE INTO THE MIX. DO BEEN ON A RELENTMUEN: HAVE YOU ALL OF YOU USULESS TOURING EVER PLAYED WITH ALLY AGREE ON THE SCHEDULE. HOW METALLICA? DIRECTION THE LONG HAVE YOU ALBUM WILL TAKE? BEEN OUT? No, we havenʼt, but we would love to. A lot of The same people have Itʼs been endless, since our friends have. It all been together for a warped Tour last sumwould be something while and everyone is mer. We had some Decool to do just to say really comfortable. cember and January that you did it. Everybody kind of time off, but other than knows what is going to that itʼs been pretty non MUEN: I NOTICED please everybody. We stop. We break here THAT THERE ARE A donʼt really have some- and there, but thatʼs LOT MORE GUITAR one coming in and say- about it. We just did a SOLOS ON THIS ing “Oh, thatʼs awful.” Europe, Japan and AusALBUM. tralia so if I see another Itʼs a pretty easy and airplane Iʼm going to smooth process. There is a ton of guitar blow my brains out. solos. Oli just came in MUEN: JASON COSTA one day and said, MUEN: HOW DID YOU IS NEW TO THE “Thereʼs going to be like BAND. WHAT KIND OF LIKE JAPAN? a thousand guitar AN INFLUENCE DID solos.” Nobody argued HE HAVE ON WRITING It was awesome, itʼs just melodies on this one. Itʼs a little bit more accessible for the mainstream rock radio. Itʼs the first time weʼve had mainstream rock radio. We have had trouble in the past getting songs on the real radio because of all the screaming and stuff. We accomplished it this time without alienating everyone who already liked us.

that the flying gets so old. I guess Jason just said that we had twentytwo flights already this year. Iʼm scared to death of those things in the first place. MUEN: WITH ALL THAT TIME TOGETHER AND PLAYING SO MANY SHOWS, YOU GUYS MUST BE VERY TIGHT NOW AS A BAND.

Yeah, at the beginning of the tours we were a little shaky just because we always feel a little awkward to be on the tours. After the third or fourth show we start to lock in a little better.

MUEN: YOU HIT A LOT OF THE MAJOR FESTIVALS DURING THAT TIME. WHICH ONE WAS YOUR FAVORITE? Ozzfest was my favorite so far. It was really cool because we had a lot of friends on the tour.

MUEN: HOW MUCH TIME DO YOU GET TO SPEND AT HOME?

We will not spend any time at home until the end of August. We had four days off after Japan, but the next tour has already started. After this one, we will get five days off, then we go from Canada to

Europe and then from Europe we go right back on to the Rockstar Mayhem Tour. Itʼs pretty much non stop until the end of August, but I think we are actually going to get a month or two off after that. MUEN: IS THERE EVER A TIME WHEN YOU ARE JUST SICK OF BEING ON THE ROAD AND YOU JUST WANT TO SLEEP IN YOUR OWN BED FOR A CHANGE? Yeah, it happens very often. It happens to everybody. Everybodyʼs timing is kind of different. One person will say “Oh, Iʼm good.” and then one person will be

like “Iʼm sick of it.” One person will be burnt out and the other person will be “Itʼs no big deal.” Itʼs like a rotating thing. MUEN: HOW DO YOUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS REACT TO YOU BEING GONE ALL THE TIME?

I know my mom and dad kind of hate it, but they know that I donʼt have a choice. The friends are cool, every time we come back, everyone comes out of the wood work and hangs out and stuff. Everyone always says that they lose their good friends when they go on tour, but I have been lucky enough to not

have had that happen to AND IT SAID IT WAS A TWO WEEK VIDEO me. SHOOT. MUEN: THAT IS AWEReally? It was a one SOME THAT YOU day video shoot. I donʼt HAVE REALLY SUPthink it took more than PORTIVE FRIENDS. two or three days, honestly, as far as the acIʼm very lucky in that tual shooting goes. The sense. editing might take anMUEN: YOUR LATEST other week or two though. If it took more SINGLE “TWO than one day we would WEEKS” IS DOING VERY WELL. IT MADE have all died because THE TOP 20 IN ACTIVE the house we shot it in was 120 degrees. They ROCK. were toweling the sweat Itʼs the top 10 now, offi- off of us after every take; it was brutal. cially.

MUEN: I LOVE THAT SONG AND THE VIDEO IS SO GREAT! I WAS WATCHING THE BEHIND THE SCENES

MUEN: WHAT IS THE CONCEPT OF THE VIDEO? We were ghosts and

people were watching us play through TVʼs and it was this freaky weird thing. It started off where we all died in a plane crash and we kind of didnʼt want to do that because we all take too many planes. We were like “Can we not die in a plane crash in the video?” It just seemed like a bad sign so we didnʼt want to do it that way. It said at the beginning of the video that we were missing or something like that. MUEN: YOU ARE PLAYING MAYHEM FEST THIS YEAR. THE TICKETS GO ON SALE NEXT WEEK AND I CANNOT WAIT TO GO. WHICH BAND ARE YOU MOST EXCITED TO SEE PLAY AT THE FEST?

There are two, Killswitch Engage and Cannibal Corpse. I am looking forward to them the most this summer. MUEN: KILLSWITCH IS AMAZING LIVE.

They are hometown friends of ours and we have done a couple tours with them and stuff so we love those guys to death.

MUEN: I WAS AT YOUR PERSONAL MYSPACE PAGE. ITʼS REALLY INTERESTING. I

LEARNED A LOT. (LAUGHING)

THOSE GAMES?

Yes, I definitely do, GuiItʼs very to the point. Iʼm tar Hero 2 was on our not a huge internet guy bus for one tour and I when it comes to that think we actually wore stuff so I just put one the CD out we played it word answers for every- so much. thing. MUEN: YOUʼRE MUEN: IT WAS REPRETTY GOOD AT IT ALLY FUNNY ACTUTHEN. ALLY. AT LEAST I KNOW YOU HAVE A Yeah, we got pretty SENSE OF HUMOR. good at it, but Iʼm a little DO YOU HAVE ANY rusty right now. Oli and I OTHER PASSIONS BE- were getting really good SIDES MUSIC? HOBat it for a while. BIES? MUEN: IʼVE TALKED Iʼm the band jock I TO SOME ARTISTS would say. I get made THAT CANNOT PLAY fun of a lot for liking IT. sports way too much. Some people just canʼt MUEN: WHAT SPORTS do it, itʼs hard and you DO YOU LIKE? have to be a weird kind of coordinated. Basketball, baseball, football, I love them all. MUEN: WELL, I KNOW Those are my main THAT YOU GUYS ARE three, I donʼt like soccer. BUSY AND I WANT TO LET YOU GET BACK MUEN: DO YOU PLAY TO YOUR FRIENDS. I THE SPORTS OR KNOW YOU ARE AT JUST WATCH? THE NEW ENGLAND METAL AND HARDI played baseball for ten CORE FESTIVAL. I years when I was in WOULD REALLY LIKE high school. I played TO THANK YOU FOR baseball until I was THE INTERVIEW. I REeighteen. Iʼm too old ALLY APPRECIATE IT and decrepit now to play AND IT WAS AWESOME TALKING WITH any sports. YOU. MUEN: YOUR MUSIC I appreciate it too and IS FEATURED ON we appreciate the supROCK BAND AND port! GUITAR HERO 2. DO YOU PLAY EITHER OF

MUEN: BEFORE I LET YOU GO WAS THERE ANYTHING YOU WOULD LIKE TO ADD? Go buy our record, ʻOvercome,ʼ itʼs everywhere. So if you can find it, go buy it!

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LAZARUS A.D.

MUEN Magazine May 2009 Part 1 - PG. 11

(Metal Blade Records) Alex Lackner (Guitar) Kenosha, Wisconsin

By: Shauna OʼDonnell

MUEN: YOU GUYS WERE ORIGINALLY KNOWN AS LAZARUS. WHY DID YOU ADD THE A.D.?

BLADE RECORDS CALLED ʻTHE ONSLAUGHTʼ IS NOW OUT. HOW IS IT GOING SO FAR?

Itʼs very good, actually, right now. The sales Basically, there was a are pretty good. We band out of New York have been getting it that had been called out there trying to get Lazarus for twenty-five it as much exposure years or something like A.D. as possible. We are that. We had come a new band so it is across them, but we harder to get out really didnʼt think anywas going on. We were over with. A lot of peo- there right off the bat. thing of it. We found Being teamed up with ple still refer to us as constantly trying to out that it had to do Metal Blade is a really Lazarus. The A.D. contact these guys. with a common law good thing, because trademark, which is ba- After a month or so we doesnʼt mean much in they have been helping got a letter in the mail terms of a specific sically once you sell us a lot. We actually any kind of merchan- from their lawyer say- meaning. A lot of peohave these two pretty ple like to call it after dise, whether it is a t- ing big tours coming up shirt or a CD you have that if we didnʼt change death, which is a mistaken term of Anno Do- that should help skythat name trademarked our name they were mini, which I believe is rocket the album. On because you are using going to see us in a Latin version of B.C. April 8th we leave to go it as a product. We got court. We were like” You have got to be kid- before Christ. We like on tour with Amon in contact with them Amarth, Goatwhore and said “Hey guys, we ding me; a simple “no” to consider it to be something like almost and Skeleton Witch. would have done just realize we have the The first of May we are drunk or alcohol and fine.” We same name. Is there drugs. We like to have going out with Unearth any way we can come went through a few name options and all of fun with it. There is no and Testament. Unto an agreement or earth is also on Metal compromise to get this us collectively decided big deal with it. Blade so it will be really we wanted to keep name?” We hadnʼt cool to be sharing the heard from them for a Lazarus in the name so MUEN: YOUʼRE stage with those guys. we just threw the A.D. DEBUT ALBUM REmonth or two so we LEASED ON METAL were wondering what on there just to get it

PG. 12 - MUEN Magazine May 2009 Part 1

MUEN: THEY ARE A GOOD BAND.

MUEN: TELL US A LIT- strange because we are still running on this TLE ABOUT THE album. We think it is reALBUM. ally a good enough They are amazing, for Itʼs a thrash album. Itʼs album to keep pushing it a modern band, they fast, heavy, memorable and it still has a lot of are definitely one of the life left. Thatʼs why we and you are going to bands we look up to. We canʼt wait to get out enjoy it. It took us a long didnʼt want to go back there with them. On top time in terms of putting into the studio to record another album. We all the stuff together. of that, Testament is The writing process was wanted to push this one huge, and probably with major label support. right when we started one of our top three inplaying together four fluences. years ago. It is really MUEN: HAVE YOU PLAYED WITH ANY OF THEM BEFORE?

We did have a chance to go and play with Testament at The Rave; it is our premier venue out here in Milwaukee We had played a bunch of shows at The Rave and we helped them make a bunch of money. Every so often they would call us up and say “Hey, we have these main stage spots open. Do you want to play?” I want to say it was back in 2005 or 2006 we played direct support for Anthrax and that was awesome too. In 2007, we had the chance to open for Testament so we did it and it was really cool. Then we were asked to do this tour with them and jumped on board. It is going to be awesome!

MUEN: YOU GUYS REMIXED AND RE-MASTERED THE ALBUM. HOW DID THIS RECORDING PROCESS GO IN COMPARISON TO THE FIRST TIME YOU RECORDED? The first time we recorded was actually

the only time we recorded. What we basically did was, we went in and recorded that one and finished the mixing and engineering for it. We were given the option to master with either James Murphy or Trevor Sadler who worked with Nine Inch Nails. He is based out of Milwaukee which is right up the road from us, but knowing that James has been around the block with the thrash community and he has been in Testament, there were no options, we were going with James. It would be good to have his name on the CD and it would be good contact for us to know in the future. When Metal Blade picked us up we all collectively decided to remix and re-master the album because we wanted it to sound extremely professional. We sent it over to James and he did the re-mixing and mastering and it sounds absolutely phenomenal right now.

cific singers. We all sing and do stuff like that, but when it came to the music we were really involved in that. When we started, we were a four piece; we are still a four piece. We started looking for a separate singer so we could focus on the music portion. Going through enough people we realized it just wasnʼt happening out here so we decided to step up to the plate and do it ourselves. Jeff went ahead and took a hold of that. He has been doing it ever since and has been progressing really well. We write the music first and then we throw lyrics on top of it. Lately, we have been writing new material. We wrote some lyrics and we have been trying to fit everything together, itʼs a big music thing for sure.

MUEN Magazine May 2009 Part 1 - PG. 13

out of it. We enjoy it when someone can listen to it and relate their life to it, whether it is the meaning that we have, or the meaning they have.

MUEN: WHAT DO YOU FEEL IS MORE IMPORTANT TO YOUR FANS, THE MESSAGE IN THE LYRICS OR THE MUSIC?

Itʼs hard to say, we are musicians, so it starts with the music. Obviously, everyone wants to bang their heads and jump around. At the same time, it is music and lyrics are a big portion of it. A lot of people pay attention to those and we are progressing at it. It is becoming more and more of an attention getter with the lyrics too. They are both right up there now at this point in time.

MUEN: DO YOU TRY AND GET A MESSAGE MUEN: WERE YOU INOUT IN YOUR VOLVED IN OTHER LYRICS? BANDS BEFORE JOINING LAZARUS? To a certain extent, our MUEN: IN REGARDS lyrics are fairly vague or Yes, I had done a stint TO THE WRITING general. We have our with a band out here PROCESS. DO YOU own meanings, like called “Defy” and they USUALLY WRITE THE every band does, when had done some pretty LYRICS FIRST OR THE it comes to writing decent stuff here and MUSIC? lyrics. We do it in a cer- there. After a little while tain way that when the I couldnʼt do it anymore. Itʼs actually the music listener is listening to it There was some bad first. When we all grew and they are paying at- stuff happening and I up, we were all musitention to it, they can ended up quitting. It was cians, we were not spe- get their own meaning actually really funny be-

cause Ryan, Jeff and Dan had literally just started Lazarus. They called me up the day after I quit and said “Hey dude, we heard through the grapevine that you quit “Defy”. Do you want to come try out?” I was like “How the hell did you find out about this?” It was literally the day before. I was like “Screw it, Iʼll come over and listen. Iʼll see what you guys are doing.” They played one show at the Kenosha County Fair and basically their biggest thing was to find a singer and a rhythm guitarist. At that point they had already talked to me so it was basically drawn towards me. I heard their stuff and said” I really like this.” I went and tried out and that was it. It was one day, one try out, I jammed with them and I was in. It was perfect; it was exactly what they were looking for. MUEN: WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO GET INTO MUSIC?

I actually started listening to music when I was two years old. I was so young and my mom had actually got me into older bands like Tom Petty and stuff like that. Tom Petty is still one of my all time favorite bands, which is strange

PG. 14 - MUEN Magazine May 2009 Part 1 being in a metal band. He is a phenomenal artist and when I was a kid I would run around and pretend I was him playing guitar. It progressed from there and I still listen to all different kinds of music. All of us do, we are metal heads, but at the same time there might be a situation where we are cruising around listening to rap or jam music. Its music and it is how it affects your feelings and your emotions.

MUEN: WHAT WAS THE BIGGEST INFLUENCE THAT MADE YOU WANT TO BE IN A THRASH METAL BAND?

Honestly, I would have to say Metallica. I was probably ten years old and I heard one of their discs. I donʼt remember which one, it may be the Black Album, but I heard that disc and from there on I thought “Man, this is awesome, this is great stuff and I really want to get involved in this.” That was actually the time when I started playing guitar, at ten or eleven years old. I think everyone else in the band started at that same exact time too. MUEN: YOU GUYS ARE FROM WISCONSIN, ARE THERE

MANY THRASH METAL BANDS THERE?

There are actually, and for a long time there had been. We have had people say they have set up shows in town and played. There have been metal bands out here for the last twenty years Iʼd say, but nothing really picked up that much out here. Everything out here kind of seems to be like a scene sort of thing, itʼs in and then itʼs out immediately. We came along and started playing this thrash metal and people caught on to it right away. Itʼs been four years since we have been doing it and now thereʼs more and more thrash bands coming out. Not just thrash, but general metal bands and they are still doing what they are doing. There are some good ones out here, even the area of Wisconsin is starting to bring out more good musicians. If you heard Luna Mortis on Century Media, they are good friends of ours, and they just recently got signed and they are from Wisconsin too.

YOUR MUSIC?

We have done a little bit of touring here and there. We have done our fair share of city tours way back in the day. One time we did a week tour of the Midwest and we were like” Dude, finally we can get out and spread the name Lazarus.” We get out there and there is no one there. We came back and it was an experience. You live and you learn. Recently, we just did a small two week tour with Rikets and Within Chaos. Both of them are on the same management label that we are on, Red Rocket Entertainment. It was fun, it wasnʼt anything special. It was our first decent tour and again it wasnʼt anything spectacular. I canʼt complain, it was a really good time and I met a lot of really cool people. We have gone out to Denver, Nebraska and all over the place. The next couple tours with Amon Amarth, Unearth and Testament are going to be way over board. That is something I donʼt think any of us are ready for, it hasnʼt even hit us yet. Once we get out there we are going to be like “Whoa! This is pretty intense.”

CHAOS GUYS ARE WILD.

They are really good, amazing. I love those guys to death. They are some of the coolest people I have ever met in my entire life. Actually, for the Amon Amarth tour, a couple of them called and said “Hey dude, you have a place to stay when you are in town, come on by.” MUEN: YOU HAVE MENTIONED SOME OF YOUR FAVORITE ARTISTS. IF YOU COULD COLLABORATE WITH ANY OF THEM, WHO WOULD IT BE?

Itʼs so hard to say, obviously, everyone wants a chance to do something with Metallica. Thatʼs one of the biggest things so I would say something like that. A big one for me would be to do something with Zakk Wylde. He is a good musician as opposed to being a metal guitarist or the guitarist for Ozzy. He has done the softer stuff, phenomenal music. It would be really cool to do something like that with him. On top of that maybe MUEN: WHERE Avenged Sevenfold, WOULD YOU SAY YOU which is a little strange, HAVE RECEIVED THE because a lot of people MUEN: THOSE WITHIN throw them in the BEST REACTION TO

gutter, They are like “Oh, they are just some radio, commercial rock band that is successful.” But they are really good musicians. MUEN: WELL, THEY SELL A LOT OF RECORDS.

Thatʼs what Iʼm saying. Iʼm not saying they are trying to be sell-outs or anything like that. To me, I think that their music is actually really good. It has metal influences, but itʼs not exactly typical metal. I would consider them just a really good rock band.

produced labels, they were the owners of the label, that put together some small little thing and threw it on their to make themselves look a little more professional. That is fine, but at that time we didnʼt have anything. We had just put out the CD and we didnʼt have anyone backing us. We hadnʼt actually looked into doing that. Earache contacted us and said “Hey guys, we are putting together this thrash compilation CD. Would you guys be interested in being on it?” We were like “Hell yeah.” We can get out there with these other bands and it would be good exposure for everybody. They took “Last Breath” and featured it on the compilation.

MUEN Magazine May 2009 Part 1 - PG. 15

ting seen by Metal Blade,

“we had sent our demo to them numerous times and we were denied a couple times.”

It depends on who it gets to in the studios there, because there are a lot of people working. We had gotten through that. I was on my way to Jeffʼs house; I was going to stay with him for a couple of months to get some MUEN: THE SONG things done. On the way “LAST BREATH” WAS back to his place, we INCLUDED ON A COMgot this call from Metal PILATION CD CALLED Blade. We picked it up ʻTHRASHING LIKE A and he was “Hey this is MANIACʼ THAT WAS Mike Faley, President of PUT OUT BY EARMUEN: DO YOU FEEL Metal Blade. I just want ACHE RECORDS. I THAT THE COMPILAyou to know that we reREAD THAT YOU TION CD HELPED ally like your stuff.” We WERE THE ONLY UN- YOU GET THE ATTENgot into this conversaSIGNED BAND ON TION OF METAL tion and at the end we THE ENTIRE CD. BLADE RECORDS? were told they wanted to HOW DID METAL offer us a deal. We were We actually were. Alot BLADE HEAR ABOUT down because we of people were skeptical YOU? wanted to be on Metal about that. They were Blade for quite some like “Thereʼs no way you After that was out we time. Iʼd say the compiwere the only unsigned got a lot of exposure. lation CD definitely band on that CD. Why Iʼm sure Metal Blade helped us out with that. would they do someended up catching wind thing like that?” Realisti- of it shortly after. There MUEN: I NOTICED cally, that is true; we are a few other people THAT COORS LITE IS were the only unsigned that we know that ONE OF YOUR TOP band. There were other helped get in contact FRIENDS ON MYbands that were on self with them. Prior to getSPACE. IS THAT

YOUR DRINK OF CHOICE?

Yeah definitely. We like a lot of the finer beers any day of the week like St. Pauli Girl and a lot of the imports. It can definitely get expensive. We like to consider ourselves a party band and we like to have fun with as many people as possible. Coors Lite just happens to be that beer. Itʼs perfect for drinking at a party. You can have as many as you want and get all hammered. I donʼt think I have ever woken up with a hangover after drinking a bunch of Coors Lite, which is absolutely amazing. MUEN: WHAT DO YOU LIKE MOST ABOUT BEING ON THE ROAD?

The experience, I like the fact that I am out there being able to do what I really wanted to do. I like being out there every night playing my music to different people in different cities. When you get out there you get to see all the different cultures in all the different areas. You get to meet all these different people and see how they live their lives. Itʼs really cool; itʼs an eye opener and a good experience.

PG. 16 - MUEN Magazine May 2009 Part 1 MUEN: THE MORE YOU TOUR, THE TIGHTER A BAND YOU BECOME.

Definitely, we learned that from the two tours we did back in the day. Weʼd get back and be on top of our game.

MUEN: HAVE YOU MADE ANY MUSIC VIDEOS AS OF YET? We actually just finished one. We did it with a company out of Chicago, right here by us. We did it for the first single we put out called “Thou Shall Not Fear.” We saw some of the clips that they were doing and itʼs going to be really cool. We actually got to do it at “The Rave.” Itʼs the first music video they allowed anyone to do. On top of that, there were a bunch of places in “The Rave” that I hadnʼt been, that I got to see.

“Iʼm just hoping that more bands start coming out and they really focus on writing their music and wanting to MUEN: IS THERE ANY- write their THING YOU WOULD LIKE TO CHANGE IN music based THE METAL MUSIC on what they SCENE? want to do and Itʼs really hard to say. not on what There are a lot of bands other people out there that are getting noticed based on want them to the fact that they know people. I realize that is do.” side, I know tons and tons of people, so I have to go out and make my rounds and hang out with people. I really enjoy dinking so no matter who Iʼm hanging out with Iʼm going to have a few beers. We are all young so Iʼm going to have fun with it.

going to happen and going to continue for a while. Everybody is trying to push this thrash trend too. People are trying to stick us in there as the revivalists. We are the ones that are supposed to pave the way. I donʼt want to be looked at as some MUEN: WHAT KIND OF typical thrash band. ObFUN THINGS DO YOU viously, we are right LIKE TO PARTICIPATE now. Eventually down IN BESIDES MUSIC? the road I want to be considered really good Iʼm a big movie guy, I musicians. like going out to the movies and stuff. It is another expression of art that you can relate to. Whether it is something that is real life or entertaining that is off the wall. On my down

MUEN: THAT WAS VERY WELL SAID. I WOULD LIKE TO THANK YOU FOR JOINING US TODAY. IT WAS A LOT OF FUN AND I HOPE TO TALK TO YOU AGAIN IN THE FUTURE.

Oh please do anytime. I am more than happy to answer more questions. I like talking with people so itʼs not even a problem for me. Thank you very much!

MUEN MAGAZINE MAY 2009 / PART 2

FEATURING: LACUNA COIL BELLADONNA ZELAZOWA ANOME LEGION WITHIN LITTLE BRAZIL BREATHE CAROLINA ADELITAS WAY HUNDREDFOLD DEATH TO JULIET TELLING ON TRIXIE THROTTLE VETNA MORE! Scribd.com/muenmag

MUEN Magazine May 2009 Part 1 - PG. 17

PANDEMIC Isaiah Pierce (Bass)

Myspace.com/pandemic

By: Shauna OʼDonnell

MUEN: SO WHERE ARE YOU GUYS FROM?

We are about thirty miles north of New Orleans in a little town called Mandeville, but we claim New Orleans because nobodyʼs heard of our little town.

bers from each band had to go do our own thing. I called George, our guitar player now, Really? We got a little bit of exposure after Ka- and asked what they trina, but that was about were doing. I suggested we get together, there it. were two of us left over MUEN: SPEAKING OF here and it just happened to be the right WHICH, YOU GUYS FORMED AS A BAND two members. They had a guitar player and a SHORTLY AFTER singer. We had a bass HURRICANE KATplayer and a drummer RINA. WHY DONʼT left, so we got together. YOU TELL ME A LITTLE ABOUT HOW YOU MUEN: SO YOU GUYS CAME TOGETHER? MISSED OUT ON PLAYING WITH DISYes, there were two TURBED? separate bands around MUEN: IʼVE ACTUALLY HEARD OF IT.

this area and we were actually in a battle of the bands to open up for Disturbed. We were the two finalists. The week before we were supposed to have the battle out, Katrina happened. After that several mem-

NAME PANDEMIC MEANS AN EPIDEMIC IN A LARGE AREA. SPEAKING OF EPIDEMICS WHAT DO YOU THINK OF ALL THIS TALK ABOUT THE SWINE FLU? IT IS GETTING PRETTY SCARY.

We have received several emails and stuff from fans saying “You need to capitalize on this.” Iʼm not a person that likes to capitalize on other peopleʼs misfortune. Some people are, but we are just not that band. It is scary; itʼs definitely scary for sure.

Yes, we missed out on Disturbed, but we got to have this. MUEN: IT HAS BEEN A LITTLE OVER A YEAR MUEN: WELL, IʼM SINCE YOUR FULL GLAD THAT YOU LENGTH ALBUM LESFORMED AS A BAND SONS IN TRUST WAS BECAUSE YOU MAKE RELEASED, WHICH GREAT MUSIC. THE YOU SOLD INDE-

PENDENTLY RIGHT? Yes.

MUEN: HAVE YOU FOUND IT DIFFICULT TO DO IT ALL BY YOURSELF?

Actually, in the beginning we did because we had never done it before. We were just local bands and we never really left the New Orleans area. We found it a little difficult, itʼs just a trial and error, learn as you go kind of thing. Within four to five months we started to hit Texas pretty good, also the Mississippi and Florida area. Recently, we did a little west coast tour so I donʼt think itʼs difficult. Itʼs not for the people who donʼt want to work, thatʼs for sure.

PG. 18 - MUEN Magazine May 2009 Part 1

MUEN: DID YOU DO WRITING PROCESS ALL OF THE PRODUC- LIKE FOR YOU? TION AS WELL? Thatʼs difficult, because No, we had Jeremy everybody comes from Parker, thatʼs the guy diverse backgrounds. who just produced the One of the guys really next Mudvayne record likes the 70ʼs rock and thatʼs coming out. He Iʼm a huge fan of the engineered the last Slip- early 50ʼs and early 60ʼs knot record and has stuff. I grew up listening been an engineer for to that along with Metalthe last ten years or so lica and Slayer. Our working on some pretty drummer likes everybig records. I met him thing. If I like something one day and we got to at home and I come in be good friends. He with it, I have this idea came and heard us play of what I want it to and wanted to work sound like and it never something out. He basi- turns out the way I had cally produced our it pictured, but it usually whole album for us. It turns out a lot better took us about a year to than I thought. We all put together because at bounce ideas off each the time he was doing other. We all write lyrics the second Evanesand we all play our incence record and third struments, but we all Mudvayne record. We write on everybody could only get in the stu- elseʼs. It takes longer dio when he wasnʼt because everybody has working. It took us a lit- their ideas. Everybody tle while to put together is totally open to it. If because we would go in you donʼt like what Iʼm two days here and three doing, tell me, Iʼll try to days there, but it was find something else. worth it. MUEN: I WOULD MUEN: ABSOLUTELY, IMAGINE BECAUSE IT SOUNDS GREAT. ALL OF YOU BRING DIFFERENT INFLUIt was all him. ENCES TO THE BAND. AT SOME POINT YOU MUEN: NO, IT WAS WOULD HAVE TO DISYOU, TOO. AGREE ON THE DIRECTION OF A SONG He is an amazing guy, RIGHT? he is really talented. It happens on every MUEN: WHAT IS THE song pretty much. Iʼm

generally the guy who says “I want to get a little bit heavier here.” or it will be the opposite where my drummer will say that and Iʼm like “No we donʼt man.” In the end it generally works out and everybody is happy.

We want to go in with at least twenty to twentyfive songs. Like I said, we have twenty or so on the wall now. Thereʼs a lot of material there if we ever have some time off to sit in the studio and just finish them. I think we would have another decent album.

We set the goal for December of this year, not having it completed, but going into the studio.

MUEN: EVERYONE HAS THEIR OWN INTERPRETATIONS, ANYWAY. WHAT

MUEN: IT MUST TAKE YOU LONGER TO MUEN: FOR THOSE WRITE A SONG WITH WHO HAVE NOT ALL OF THAT. HEARD IT, HOW WOULD YOU DEIt does, it really does. SCRIBE YOUR Actually, Jeremy called MUSIC? two weeks ago and was asking when we will be As far as the sound ready to do another goes, there are songs album. We have a on there that I think dry/erase board on the metal fans would like wall and there are prob- and there are songs that ably twenty songs half pop/rock fans would finished with half done like. When people ask, riffs and ignorant names we say we are a modon it. Itʼs just like work- ern rock band. There ing titles. We have five are so many different songs complete since categories now. Itʼs like we finished the album. the old alternative. We On top of that though do have a lot of the we have been playing a early 90ʼs influence. Our lot and as much as pos- singer is a big fan of sible. That kind of takes Chris Cornell. I would away from the writing say we sound like a process. mixture between 30 Seconds to Mars, Tool MUEN: I WAS GOING and Soundgarden. TO ASK YOU IF YOU Thatʼs a good combinaWERE WORKING ON tion. Someone will probA NEW ALBUM. WHEN ably hear it and say “It MIGHT WE EXPECT sounds nothing like IT? that.”

WOULD YOU SAY MAKES YOUR BAND STAND OUT FROM OTHER BANDS IN YOUR GENRE?

and even in the mix of all of that devastation there is always some light. I definitely try to think positive. We all get dealt horrible cards here Iʼd say our vocalist, and there. Make the without a doubt. Not to best of it and keep brag or anything, but he going. is absolutely amazing. I think Iʼm a decent bass MUEN: YOU HAVE player and pretty good OPENED FOR SOME writer. I think my guitar REALLY GREAT player is a phenomenal BANDS. WHO WERE guitar player and really SOME OF YOUR FAgood writer. The same VORITES? thing goes for our drummer. Our singer by far Recently, we opened up surpasses all of our tal- for 12 Stones. I talk to ent. I think that is what Paul the singer about makes us stand out. once a week. He is really into trying to help us MUEN: NOW, THE out. He is a really good MOTTO FOR YOUR guy, all of them are. BAND IS “EVERYWithout a doubt, my faTHING HAPPENS FOR vorite was 30 Seconds A REASON.” THAT IS to Mars. I didnʼt know ALSO MY MOTTO. I much about them, all I BELIEVE THAT WHEN knew was it was the guy SOMETHING NEGAfrom Fight Clubʼs band. TIVE HAPPENS, A week before the show, SOMETHING REALLY the manager at the GOOD IS ABOUT TO Howlinʼ Wolf called and HAPPEN. asked if weʼd be interested in playing with The song “Lucky Me” them. We were like pretty much sums it all “Yeah, of course.” I went up. Itʼs pretty much the out and got their album theme for the whole because I didnʼt want to album. meet them and not know a song title. I was MUEN: YEAH, I WAS like, “Man, this is going GOING TO ASK YOU to help us a lot.” Two ABOUT THAT. days before the show we got the call and they Where this band started told us to be there at was with Katrina, and five oʼclock. When we that was extremely dev- got there, there was a astating. It happened line around the corner,

MUEN Magazine May 2009 Part 1 - PG. 19

around the whole block. I was like “This is going to be great” and sure enough, it was.

We could do this on our own. Itʼs going to be tough, but we could definitely do it and thatʼs what we are going to MUEN: THEY ARE A do. That little two week GOOD BAND. run was probably the best two weeks beYes they are, remember cause it definitely when Eddie Murphy showed us that itʼs postried to cross over and sible. If you have a good do a song? Actors are product, people will buy usually not very good. I it. will say that for this guy (Jared Leto), I think he MUEN: DO YOU HAVE is a phenomenal actor ANY PLANS TO COME and he is an amazing BACK TO THE WEST songwriter and singer. I COAST? was really impressed. We are playing with Fil- We are in the middle of ter on Sunday, actually. booking a thirty-five That would be a good date run. After that we one too. definitely want to go back to the west coast. MUEN: I SEE THAT We had a blast the YOU HAVE A FULL whole time. Arizona was TOURING SCHEDULE amazingly beautiful. I FOR MAY AND JUNE. had never been and I YOU WILL BE DOING was blown away by how A SHOW WITH SALIVA beautiful the state was. AND ONE WITH SNOT. We played out in L.A. WHAT KIND OF REand I got to meet Les SPONSE HAVE YOU Claypool which was BEEN GETTING AT cool. Vegas was the THE SHOWS? highlight for sure. We played there on a SaturIt has been really great. day night on the strip. We do really well locally We had the next two because all of our days off so we stayed in friends and family come Vegas and we probably out. When we went out shouldnʼt have. (Laughfor our little west coast ing) run it was really neat to play for people that MUEN: WELL LETʼS have never seen us play PUT IT THIS WAY, ITʼS before. They came up REALLY HARD TO after the show and NOT HAVE A GOOD bought t-shirts and we TIME IN VEGAS. thought this could work.

PG. 20 - MUEN Magazine May 2009 Part 1 I was there with our producer who lives in Arizona actually. We snatched him up on the way out, so he went to Vegas with us. I was there with four of my closest friends and there were four to five hundred people at the show. We sold over two hundred CDʼs that night and that probably made us stay in Vegas longer because we had a little bit more money to blow.

MUEN: AND YOU BLEW IT ALL ON THE RIGHT STUFF, RIGHT?

Of course, of course, we have a lot of great memories because we had a camera the whole time. We were instant reminiscing on the way back to Texas. We were look-

ing at the camera going FROM RADIO? “When did I do that?” We get a little bit in MisMUEN: MY FINGER sissippi. There are two WOULD BE ON THE stations that play us, I DELETE BUTTON. think, because we donʼt get the stations here. Yeah, well, we debated The pop radio station on deleting, but we here just started this thought that maybe one thing on Sundays, day when we are fifty where they are playing we would wish we local music. I got a hadnʼt deleted it. As phone call three weeks much as you donʼt want ago saying “Elephantʼs people to see it, you did on the radio.” I put it on it. Alcohol definitely the rock station and said played a huge role in it, “No, its not.” and they but at the time it felt like were like “Itʼs on B97.” I the right thing to do. put it on B97 which plays Justin Timberlake MUEN: ALCOHOL and Beyonce. “EleMAKES THE BEST phant” is probably one PICTURES, I THINK. of the heavier songs on the album. I was (Laughing) Yeah. shocked that they played the song, but I MUEN: ARE YOU GET- mean Iʼll take it. TING ANY SUPPORT

MUEN: IʼD LOVE TO THANK YOU FOR THE INTERVIEW. I HAD A GREAT TIME TALKING WITH YOU AND I WISH YOU THE VERY BEST OF LUCK IN YOUR CAREER. BEFORE I LET YOU GO IS THERE ANYTHING YOU WOULD LIKE TO ADD OR SAY? I enjoyed this; it was a lot less painless than I thought it was going to be. MUEN: I TRY TO BE REALLY NICE. (LAUGHING)

Youʼre great and I thank you. I wish you the best of luck too.

MUEN Magazine May 2009 Part 1 - PG. 21

Josh (Vocals) Des Moines, Iowa Myspace.com/worldunder By: Shauna OʼDonnell

MUEN: WHATʼS THE MUSIC SCENE LIKE IN IOWA?

I would say that we have a really decent metal scene being that this is the hometown of Slipknot. We have an appreciation for metal music, but there are a lot of different genres of music, whether it is acoustic, hip-hop or anything. Itʼs a pretty healthy music scene here.

MUEN: HAVE YOU EVER BUMPED INTO SYMBOL ON YOUR ANY OF THE MEMBERS PAGE, IS THERE SPEOF SLIPKNOT? CIAL MEANING BEHIND IT? Oh yeah, on occasion, absolutely. The ankh kind of embodies what we believe in, MUEN: THATʼS COOL, which is eternal life and HOW LONG HAVE YOU everything about the GUYS BEEN TOworld under. GETHER?

MUEN: YOU JUST REWe have been together LEASED AN EP for about three years now CALLED POETIC doing our thing. ARSON. WHEN WAS IT RELEASED? MUEN: WERE YOU ALL IN DIFFERENT BANDS Yeah, it was released on BEFORE THIS ONE? April 11th of this year. We had a pretty good turn out Absolutely, some of the at our show. guitar players in the band were in a couple of inMUEN: TELL ME A LITcredibly good bands here TLE ABOUT IT. HOW in the Des Moines local MANY SONGS ARE ON scene for quite some IT? time. MUEN: YOU HAVE A

We have five tracks on it

and we did the recording at SoundFarm Studios here in Jamaica, Iowa. We had time to record five tracks, but we have many more to record for a final album. We threw out this EP so that people could hear what we are doing.

ENTLY?

Yes, as of right now we are releasing it independently. We are in the works at getting a management company right now. MUEN: WHERE IS THE EP AVAILABLE?

MUEN: IS IT THE FIRST Itʼs going to be available ONE FOR THE BAND? on ITunes, but right now we have it available to buy through our MySpace Yes, this is the first page. recording that we have. MUEN: WHO PRODUCED IT?

MUEN: I WAS WATCHING THE VIDEO FOR “BLOOD ALL OVER” ON YOUR PAGE. HOW WAS THAT DONE?

Matt Sepanic from SoundFarm Studios produced it. He is a wonderIt was done at our jam ful guy. He produced, engineered and mixed it. spot where we practice. Our bass player, Dave Ogden had this really MUEN: ARE YOU RELEASING IT INDEPEND- good idea to set up some cameras and get us on

PG. 22 - MUEN Magazine May 2009 Part 1 film throwing down. That was basically it, he did a little bit of the editing himself and we banged out the video in one day. He filtered it to make it look more interesting.

MUEN: WHO ARE SOME OF YOUR PERSONAL, BIGGEST INFLUENCES IN METAL?

We all have different influences, Iʼll say that much. We all enjoy System of a Down, Tool and some of the more prominent bands. There are many in metal that I cannot think of right now to be honest with you. There are many different influences, as far as pop culture or anything like that it would be Tool or System of a Down. A lot of the work they do inspires us. MUEN: DO YOU WRITE ALL OF THE LYRICS? Actually, itʼs kind of collaboration between the guitar player Max and I. We write the lyrics.

MUEN: HOW DO YOU GO ABOUT WRITING THE LYRICS? DO YOU WRITE THE MUSIC FIRST OR THE LYRICS FIRST?

I would say that the music comes first because that provides a little sway or influence on how we would do the vocals or what we would write about based on how it makes us feel.

MUEN: WHICH SONG the Whiskey A Go Go, OFF OF THE EP MEANS which was an incredibly THE MOST TO YOU? awesome experience. That was about it. We That is a very good ques- drove out there, played tion there. I love all five of that show, hung out for the songs and they all four or five days, enjoyed have a very deep mean- California and drove back ing for me. I would say to Iowa. Anytime we go that “The Calling” is defi- on a tour now, we will be nitely for the band and hitting a lot more stops myself one of the songs around the Midwest, east that brought us to a new cost and west coast. level and made us aspire to be better on a daily MUEN: THAT IS THE basis. BEST WAY TO GET YOUR MUSIC OUT MUEN: WHAT MAKES THERE. GET OUT THE SONG SPECIAL TO THERE IN FRONT OF YOU? THOSE PEOPLE AND PLAY IT FOR THEM. When we heard ourselves play that song and You are 100% right. Our when we heard it back it live show is actually one motivated us to become a of the biggest parts of our train so to speak. A driv- band. We definitely want ing force, we want to suc- people to come to the ceed. If we are given any show and be so incredibly opportunity, we are going shocked and walk away to take full advantage of saying “Did I really just it. That song in itself kind see that?” of embodied how we feel about that. MUEN: WHAT CAN PEOPLE EXPECT TO MUEN: SO ARE YOU SEE AT A LIVE SHOW? GOING TO BE HITTING THE ROAD IN SUPWeʼve had everything PORT OF THE NEW RE- from a burlesque dancer LEASE? to ankhʼs and crosses on the stage to make it look Yes, absolutely, to be like a cemetery. We try to honest come July I donʼt be as out front and as know where we will be, bold as possible. but I will imagine it will be in a city near you and MUEN: DO YOU PLAY everybody else. ANY INSTRUMENTS? MUEN: HAVE YOU We all play different inDONE ANY TOURING IN struments so it helps us THE PAST? kind of accept other parts in the band as far as what We have done one trip to the drum part is and that California and we played kind of stuff. I myself play

the drums, guitar, and tuba. We all have different talents.

MUEN: WHAT DO YOU LIKE TO DO FOR FUN BESIDES MUSIC?

I love to golf and Iʼm in the golf business. We like to hang out and play acoustic stuff and write songs. MUEN: YOUʼRE IN THE GOLF BUSINESS? WHAT DO YOU DO?

I work in a golf retail store as an assistant sales manager. It is interesting to say the least. MUEN: IʼD REALLY LIKE TO THANK YOU FOR THE INTERVIEW JOSH. IT WAS AWESOME TALKING WITH YOU. IS THERE ANYTHING YOU WOULD LIKE TO ADD OR SAY?

I would definitely like to say to anyone out there listening that you are going to see World Under soon. Expect to hear from us and expect big things. MUEN: GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR NEW RELEASE AND I HOPE TO SEE YOU SOON.

You got it, Shauna. Thank you very much.

The Urgency By Shauna O’Donnell

MUEN Magazine May 2009 Part 1 - PG. 23

PG. 24 - MUEN Magazine May 2009 Part 1

friends 311. We have got a few shows in the works in our home town Tyler Gurwicz (Vocals) in .Vermont and in New York. We are submitted Burlington VT, /Brookfor all these different lyn, New York tours and hopefully something comes Myspace.com/theurgency through as we keep pushing the album. By: Shauna OʼDonnell (The Militia Group/Mercury)

MUEN: ON APRIL 21ST YOUR SELF TITLED ALBUM WILL HIT THE WORLD. THESE ARE EXCITING TIMES FOR YOU GUYS. HOW WILL YOU CELEBRATE ITS RELEASE? Yeah, we are really excited. We are playing a few shows with our

with a few songs that we knew we wanted to record and we had dozens of demos that we would show to our producer and he would give us his feedback. We actually ended up writing a lot of songs and a few of those made the album.

MUEN: LETʼS TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT MUEN: WHO PROTHE MAKING OF THIS DUCED IT? ALBUM. HOW LONG DID IT TAKE TO David Bendeth. RECORD? MUEN: HE PROWe were in the studio DUCED YOUR EP AS for about six months. WELL RIGHT? MUEN: THATʼS A LONG TIME.

Yeah, we had come in

..Brooklyn. From those demos we actually got a production deal with Syndicated Rhythm Productions. We did an EP with them and we also did an EP with the drummer of Alien Ant Farm, Mike Cosgrove. He produced it and the drummer of 311, Chad Sexton mixed it. MUEN: WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE PART OF THE RECORDING PROCESS?

Being able to have free reign of the studio and Actually the first one we being able to write recorded, we did it our- everyday without worrying about going to selves at work. The whole studio our apartment in

experience and being COVER OF THE able to write and record ALBUM A PICTURE is fun. OF THE BAND OR THE ARTWORK AT MUEN: WHAT ARE THE TOP OF YOUR THE SINGLES OFF MYSPACE PAGE? THE ALBUM? Itʼs the artwork at the We released “Fingertop of the MySpace tips” as the first single page. The one with the just kind of over the in- picture of us is a samternet. I know it has pler of three songs. It gotten some radio has “Fingertips”, plays, but itʼs kind of a “Crimes” and “Battlework in progress. We field.” did a video for one of our songs called “Revo- MUEN: WHO DID THE lution” and we are ARTWORK FOR THE going to be putting it COVER? ITʼS BEAUout online next week TIFUL. sometime. I know that the label is thinking of Jeff Soto did the art“Hot Damn” as a possi- work. He is kind of like ble radio single. a surrealist artist that everyone is really into. MUEN: I LOVE THE He and our guitarist SONG “FINGERTIPS.” was always a huge fan TELL ME ABOUT THE and he was talking MEANING BEHIND about it years before THE SONG AND DID we got signed. Itʼs kind YOU WRITE IT? of cool that it all came together. Everybody is in charge of writing their own MUEN: DAVID BENparts, but usually I write DETH PRODUCED the lyrics and melodies. YOUR ALBUM? I WAS The song comes from a READING YOUR lot of different places BLOG AND I and itʼs not the most di- THOUGHT IT WAS A rect song. The jest of it GREAT STORY HOW is kind of coming to the IT CAME TO BE THAT realization that you YOU GOT HIM TO canʼt really put your PRODUCE IT BY faith in anyone else or JUST SENDING AN anything else until you EMAIL. really believe in yourself. Ian reached out to David through MyMUEN: NOW IS THE Space and he didnʼt

even say anything about our band. He was contacting him through his personal page and we were commenting on the production of the Paramore album. David was impressed by Ianʼs attention to detail and he looked at his page, found our band and the next day we had a message on our band account saying “Call me immediately.” MUEN: DO YOU FEEL THAT WAS THE POINT WHERE YOUR CAREER LAUNCHED?

music a little less accessible than it is now. Everybodyʼs parts were so complex that sometimes the songs were a little off. Bendeth was good about pinpointing what made the song great. He focused on that and let us explore new ways of expressing that.

MUEN: HOW DID IT COME TO BE THAT YOU JOINED THE URGENCY?

Ian, Kevin and Guerin had all gone to college together and played in a few different bands together growing up. They moved to New We had been playing York and were playing shows mostly in New York and we had gotten music on the side of their jobs. They were a few opportunities looking for a singer. through 311 and Alien They heard some of my Ant Farm out west as stuff when I was in high well. Working with David has really helped school and contacted me through MySpace. I us as far as becoming was going to school tighter and it gave us and they went to a more feeling. I think that has helped us alot. show of mine and they asked me to jam with I think that in a way it them. did kind of launch our career, now we are out on the road touring with MUEN: YOU GUYS a van and a trailer. ARE IN PRETTY TIGHT WITH THE MUEN: TELL ME BAND 311. ABOUT “BENDETH BOOT CAMP.” Yeah, itʼs kind of interesting for me because I think before Bendeth the rest of the guys are we were all pretty into big fans and it is a little ourselves, if that makes before my time. Iʼve sense and it made the grown to really respect

them for what they do and what theyʼve done for us. Playing shows with them is kind of hit or miss. Weʼve played some festivals where everybodyʼs really about it and there are other shows where itʼs kind of just college kids that are partying, smoking pot and doing all kinds of drugs.

comes out. The kids there are really supportive of music and if they see that one of their favorite bands is coming to town, not only will they buy tickets to the show, they will check out every single band thatʼs playing with them. I think everybody is hungry for new music over there.

MUEN: HOW DID YOU MUEN: I SEE YOU HAVE A TOUR DIARY GET HOOKED UP WITH THOSE GUYS? GOING ON YOUR PAGE. ITʼS A GREAT Ryan Siegel knew them IDEA BECAUSE YOU from playing shows to- WILL ALWAYS HAVE THAT TO REMEMBER gether. At that time HOW MUCH FUN YOU Ryan was playing in a HAD. band called “The Rivalry” and we were playing shows together I hope so. in New York. Alien Ant MUEN: THE VIDEO Farm and 311 were tipped off about us and FOR “REVOLUTION” WILL BE RELEASED thatʼs how we all met. NEXT WEEK. THIS IS YOUR SECOND MUEN: CURRENTLY MUSIC VIDEO YOU ARE ON THE CORRECT? EAST COAST PLAYING SHOWS WITH Yeah, that one was a HOOBASTANK? lot of fun because the HOWʼS IT GOING? “Fingertips” video was kind of sterile. We were Itʼs going well. Honin this huge green room estly, it was good and we were playing for an video. There was camera crew and producaudience we normally wouldnʼt be exposed to. tion all over the place. With this video we actuI think their crowd is a ally play to clicks so little older and a little everything lines up with sleepy if that makes our lists to studio sense. We just came tracks. We just had a back from the UK tour and you will see in the little camera crew come in to our show in Engvideo as soon as it

land and video tape our set. Then they put together the video. MUEN: HAVE YOU DONE ANY TELEVISION SHOWS?

about the new “Circa Survive” album, a lot of “Thursday” and a band called “Romans”.

MUEN: WHAT ELSE DO YOU DO FOR Weʼve done some inter- FUN? net TV. On tour, I love skateMUEN: HOW DID YOU boarding and checking out the towns we go LIKE PLAYING AT into to find good places CHAIN REACTION? to skate. Loved it! The first time MUEN: WHAT ADVICE we played, nobody knew about the show. It WOULD YOU GIVE BANDS OUT THERE was the first time we TRYING TO MAKE IT? played the area. We played for like five people, but I still really en- Keep playing; I donʼt think there is a definijoyed that show. The second time we played, tion of making it anymore. For me, itʼs just it was completely being able to travel, packed and people playing shows, writing knew the words to the songs. It was compara- music and sustaining this lifestyle. I think it ble to the UK. comes down to believMUEN: WHAT WAS IT ing in what you do and playing for anyone who LIKE WHEN YOU will listen. Itʼs also FIRST HEARD YOUR about being open MUSIC ON RADIO? minded. The first time I heard us on the air was on a col- MUEN: ANY LAST WORDS FOR OUR lege station. My friend was a DJ and we were READERS? trying to promote one of Come to a show and our first Vermont have some fun! Thank shows. Itʼs pretty cool you so much. itʼs a good way to get the word out. MUEN: WHAT BANDS ARE YOU LISTENING TO THESE DAYS?

Iʼm really psyched

MUSIC INDUSTRY

MUEN Magazine May 2009 Part 1 - PG. 27

RYAN GREENE

Producer, Engineer Scottsdale, Arizona

Myspace.com/ryangreene

By: Shauna OʼDonnell

MUEN: I WAS LAUGHING AT THE EMAILS YOU SENT IN REGARDS TO DOING BETTER IN THE AFTERNOON. WHAT KIND OF HOURS DOES A PRODUCER/ENGINEER certain amount of time. KEEP? MUEN: WHEN YOU My day normally starts ARE TALKING ABOUT around noon. I always BUDGETS, IS IT BEwant to try to get done CAUSE THE LABELS by ten at night, but it al- ONLY ALLOW THEM ways seems to creep SO MUCH MONEY TO into the two to four a.m. RECORD? slot, seven days a week. It doesnʼt leave a whole Every project has a lot of time for playtime, budget and from what but I figure my playtime I've seen over the past is in the studio. yearʼs budgets are going down. Not only for MUEN: YOU HAVE A recording but promotion, LOT OF DEADLINES tour support and many TO DEAL WITH. other things...a hooker or two...ok, a hook-him Things have to get just in case a band done; there are a lot of member swings both deadlines. Everyone is ways. A lot of people are under a deadline. That down on labels in genis how the industry is eral but Itʼs really not the right now. The budgets labels fault, records are small and it comes aren't selling what the down to how much work used to. Even though it you can cram in, in a costs less to do a record

and bands are getting creative on how they tour itʼs getting difficult for most mid level bands to make a living. Mainly because of the Internet and free downloads (free downloads, its more like the free music sharing sites are fucking over the bands hard work) If records aren't selling it makes it a bit difficult to pay back the recording costs which in turn means the band isn't making money which turns into they can't afford to tour. People have to remember; to put a band on the road is expensive. Even if itʼs a band in a van hauling a trailer. A signed band I worked with drove from Arizona to N. Carolina when gas prices were $4.00 a gallon, it cost

them $1,200 in gas alone and it came out of their pockets but they did it because itʼs their job to support the record. As much fun as it sounds to be in the music business (and it is) it is a business no matter what anyone says. Is it fun.. but its work. I try to help when I can. Iʼve been working with a lot of unsigned bands. I send it out to my A&R friends in hopes they get signed, or will be able to get on a tour. Most un-signed bands do not have the money to do a project so I try to work within their budget but still keeping the quality at the highest level.

MUEN: THAT IS WHAT WE DO HERE AT THE MAGAZINE. WE

PG. 28 - MUEN Magazine May 2009 Part 1

dustry change email address as much as a singer of a band gets laid. So that presents a problem because what happens to all the MP'3s an A&R rep never listened to? The same thing that happens to a girl after having sex with You play a big part in helping the industry dis- a singer…. NOTHING ... cover bands. If I was an LOL A&R rep (AND YES, I would love an A&R job I have a network of people I send music to and but would ruffle some feathers for sure) but to they will at least put their ear on it but there play the other side of the coin I know for a fact are no guarantees. You can only hope it works things fall through the out. Here's a not so cracks at labels. I have gone into my friend's of- funny story. Back in 2002 I Produced/Engifice and he will have neered and mixed a hundreds of CDʼs demo for a band. About stacked in the corner. a He will say, “Yeah, those month later I went to a show and the head of are all the CDʼs I need to listen to. How the hell A&R for Geffen records is someone going to lis- was right next to me. My manager at the time ten to all that music? introduced us and we Well that goes back to chatted for a minute and what MUEN is doing, then he turned and you are really the talent started talking to somescouts for the labels. one else. All of a sudden Making a CD is obviously turning into mak- he turned back to me and said " Wait, are you ing MP3's. HA, did the Ryan Greene that anyone ever see that Produced the (sorry, not coming? When mp3's gonna tell you the band first came out they name) I said yes. He sounded worse then a cassette, well I haven't held out his hand and listened to a cassette in said "It's great to meet you, how long did it take a while. .LOL Anyhow you to do that demo? I now we can just shoot compare it to the off a MP3 to an A&R rep and instead of 100's of records I get in and its CDs they probably have amazing” I laughed and said 4 songs 5 days and hundreds of MP3ʼs to check. To top it all off is that included the singer a lot of people in the in- singing for 17 hours and COVER THE BEST UNSIGNED ARTISTS AND OUR MAGAZINE GOES OUT TO THE LABELS IN HOPES THAT THEY WILL BE DISCOVERED FOR THEIR TALENT.

all mixed in a day. He couldn't believe it and honestly when I was doing the sessions I couldn't believe it. I only had a small amount of time and wanted to get as much production as I could on it. He obviously liked what he heard but nothing happened! FUCK!!!! A friend of mine at another Major Label heard the disc nine months later, he calls me and says, “I just heard this band you did, I love it but I can't find any contact info. Can you reach out to them?" So I called and left messages for the band to call me because I had some good news. I called for over a week. The bass player finally called me back to say, "We went through some tough times and broke up." I asked that if there were a deal on the line would the band think about getting back together and he said no. I then told him who was coming to the table and all he said was it was a bit to late. It goes to show you that sometimes it takes a while for the right people to hear your project.

CORRECT?

I did, I have been playing drums since I was thirteen. I was kind of a Terry Bozzio clone and really liked drummers like Steve Smith of Journey. I loved guys that could play, keep in the pocket and not over do it. Terry Bozzio of course is a monster player and over did it, but at least in the context of the music it was perfect. I started getting into live sound when I was fifteen and by the time I graduated high school I had got a job at The Troubadour. That led me going to recording school and I ended up getting a job at MCA Music. I was first engineer by the time I was nineteen and a half at MCA. By the time I was twenty-four I was chief engineer at EMI Music. My path has been a little different than most. All I have ever done is work. I think I have taken five vacations my whole life. If Iʼm not in the studio, Iʼm really not happy. I truly love what I do, getting in there and creating. If necessary I'll write drum parts, bass parts, guitar parts, vocal melodies and whatever MUEN: IT REALLY DOES TAKE TIME FOR it takes to make the THINGS TO HAPPEN. songs better. I feel very YOU STARTED YOUR comfortable wearing the Producer hat. I was CAREER AT AN very lucky to watch EARLY AGE AS A some of the best writers DRUMMER. IS THAT

in the world back in the day (Glen Ballard, Desmond Child, Diane Warren) which helped me in what I do today. If a band comes to a producer then they want to be produced. Whether the band agrees with an idea or not at least you are putting out the ideas, instead of hitting play, record and going “Uh yeah! That sounds great!” That doesnʼt help the band at all. What helps is knowing when to say something and when not to. I don't like liner moves, to change parts just to put your "finger in it" does nothing for me. Change things to make them better, not different. MUEN: YOU ARE GUIDING THEM.

Understanding what the band is looking for is most important. As a producer you're applying your knowledge to helping capture the best performance from an artist. The studio is an interesting environment, everything is under a microscope, EVERYTHING. Knowing when someone can do better and knowing when they have reached their limits, once they feel they reached their limit, you push them harder to make sure you get everything out of them you can. When an artist

listens back to a song and says, "I can't believe that's me.” You've done your job. The truth is it is them, they had it inside but they just needed someone to believe they could do it. At the end of the day they know you want the very best for them and we all want to be apart of a great record.

MUEN Magazine May 2009 Part 1 - PG. 29

reasons. The friends I have in LA can't wait till I'm back which is nice. It will be great to hang out with my Niece Emma; she's 9 and plays piano like a champ!

MUEN: I KNEW YOU WERE MOVING BACK HERE, BUT I DIDNʼT KNOW YOU WERE GOING TO CLOSE MUEN: YOU OWN CRUSH, I ASSUMED YOUR OWN RECORD- YOU WOULD MOVE IT. ING STUDIO IN ARIZONA CALLED I actually turned the CRUSH RECORDING. shell of the studio over YOU AND SOME OF to a friend of mine. I YOUR FRIENDS ACTU- took out all of my equipALLY BUILT THE STU- ment and moved it to DIO YOURSELVES my house. It was RIGHT? strange at first but now I can't think about doing it I built Crush as a project any other way. I have studio so bands had a always had a big studio nice place to work. It and big console. But was built with 4 of my now the way I have my friends including 500 workflow is amazing, I sheets of drywall, elec- go to a studio and trical, air conditioning, record drums, come flooring all done within back to the house and 30 days and then I had do everything else. my 1st project. It was There has been many crazy, my friends really times I forgot I was even pulled together to help at a house. The control me out. I can't thank room is really comfortthem enough. able and since I still have all my outboard I actually just moved gear, that's all I need. out, I am getting ready Over the past few to move back home to months I've been mixing A LOT! I get projects L.A. BABY!!!! Thatʼs where I started and can't from all over the world wait to get back. I have and I don't even have to great friends here in AZ leave the house. It can't and will miss them when get much better then I move but I need to get that. back home for family

MUEN: SO YOU ARE ORIGINALLY FROM L.A. THEN?

Yeah, I was born and raised in Thousand Oaks. I moved to North Hollywood when I was 18, MCA was on Lankershim Blvd. and I lived about 2 miles from work. Those were the days! When I became Chief Engineer at EMI, it was on Sunset Blvd. That was a killer job! Every night after my sessions were done I would go up to the Penthouse and just sit and look out over LA and just think, WOW, this is Fuck'n KILLER! Oh, and to my 7th and 8th grade counselor that said I would grow up and be nothing, I didn't listen to you and YOU CAN GO FUCK YOURSELF. LOL MUEN: WHEN DO YOU THINK YOU WILL BE HERE?

The day my house sells, no joke. Just to let you know I'm doing everything I can to get it sold, I even planted flowers in the flowerpots outside yesterday. MUEN: YOU HAVE WORKED WITH SOME BANDS THAT I KNOW SUCH AS RAZER.

They are great! I worked with Chris Powers on

PG. 30 - MUEN Magazine May 2009 Part 1 Guitar Hero III and some stuff on Rock Revolution as well. He came in as a singer and that guy has tone for days, he can sing. Chris Catero on bass, one word for that... Monster. He is so good and he can sing too. Everyone in that band is Great!

MUEN: THEY ARE ALL GOOD. IʼM SO HAPPY TO BE THEIR FRIEND. THEY WERE THE VERY FIRST BAND I INTERVIEWED. IT WAS ON CAMERA AND CAN BE SEEN ON YOUTUBE.

Yeah, theyʼre GREAT people! They have a lot going on right now which is exciting.

MUEN: ANOTHER BAND IS BACK FROM ASHES. BOTH ARE AMAZING BANDS. WHEN WE DECIDED TO DO THE INTERVIEW I WAS THINKING BACK TO SOME OF THE INTERVIEWS I HAD DONE WITH BANDS YOU HAD WORKED WITH IN THE PAST. ALL OF THEM HAD WONDERFUL THINGS TO SAY ABOUT YOU. WHO ARE SOME OF THE MORE NOTABLE BANDS YOU HAVE WORKED WITH? Back from Ashes...

Great Band! Nice to know they have good things to say, they have a lot going on as well. Check them out at: www.myspace.com/bac kfromashesmusic. Itʼs pretty exciting when all your hard work starts paying off!

Working at EMI, I had a lot of bands coming in and out of all the time. I worked with Patty LaBelle, Gladys Knight with Tena Clark; a Producer/Writer. She has an amazing ear! I worked with Megadeth on and off for four years, Lita Ford, Alice Cooper, Mr. Big, Tonic, Europe, Wilson Phillips and many other different artists on many different levels which was great from an engineering standpoint. It was an amazing experience and a lot of great memories. I fell into the punk rock scene while working with Bad Religion. Brett (The owner of Epitaph Records and guitar player for Bad Religion) turned me on to the band NOFX. We ended up doing a record that sold well over a half million and only cost $12,000 to make. It was their biggest selling record so far. It was a success to say the least. That spawned many years of work. I try to do records for the least

amount possible but still lands. I love hard, aggressive music, but in keep the quality and the same breathe I reproduction up. ally love things that are MUEN: DO YOU PRE- melodic. I think that's what carries me into FER ONE GENRE many different genres. OVER ANOTHER TO One day I'll be doing a RECORD? Top 40/R&B Project like what I'm working on I was brought up on today, Dawn Jameson, such a wide range of music. There are certain www.myspace.com/daw genre I feel more com- njameson, fortable engineering, but Next week I start mixing not producing. Iʼve done a lot of rap and for an alt/punk band, the week after I'm finishing me I can engineer it. I understand the concept up a band that lives more in "The Beatles" and the feel of what land. After that I'm mixneeds to be done. Itʼs ing a hardcore record not just recording, its understanding what the and a metal record. I really like being able to heart of the music is. I do many different genwould like to tackle a mix sometime but itʼs an res, it keeps things interesting. art form I donʼt have nailed YET. If you start moving into the hip-hop MUEN: WHAT ADVICE and R&B land, I under- DO YOU HAVE FOR stand and I get it. Those BANDS THAT WOULD are the records I started HELP THEM TO PREout doing. I canʼt seem PARE TO ENTER THE STUDIO? to cross over to the hardcore rap genre. Iʼve Write a good song been trying to figure it would be helpful. out because I have been offered the oppor- (Laughing) Honestly tunity. Itʼs just not in my there is a laundry list of comfort zone (YET!) and things that should be I do not like to take proj- done before you even enter the studio. Here ects that arenʼt in my comfort zone, I feel its a are a few obvious ones: waste a someoneʼs time make sure you are well rehearsed and have and money. I did have great songs, just beJay-Z come in to the cause they are fun to studio to do vocals, play doesn't mean which was nice. (Now that was in my comfort they're good. LOL. One of the biggest things is zone) As far as music goes, I can live in many make sure whoever you

have behind the console is someone you believe in and trust. If you question that person at all, the project is not going to come out how you ultimately want it to. If you are hiring a producer, let the producer do his job. Listen and be open minded. I'm not saying they're always right but at least give things a chance. When entering the studio, because budgets are tight, make sure you have everything you need. Did you get new tubes for your amp? Are they biased correctly? Are your guitars set up? Intonation? Do you have enough strings to get you through the session? Did you remember to bring your guitar strap? How about picks? LOL Oh yes, I've had to stop a session because the guitar player broke his only pick and couldn't play with anything else. All these things are helpful so when you get in the studio, you donʼt have to spend hours fixing something that was broken when you came through the door. Drummers need to have their equipment ready to go too! Make sure all the drum heads are replaced before you walk in the door. That doesn't mean replacing them a month before. That means the night before..

Drummers! GRRRRRR. Oh wait, I'm a drummer. Buy extra drumsticks, have spares heads, it may be 11 oʼclock at night and you're playing and WHAM! You break a snare or kick head. SPARE HEADS! I've spent hours and hours in the studio fixing equipment or replacing heads when we could have been recording. Be over prepared! Also be open to everything your producer throws out at you. Give it a shot, instead of sitting there bickering about “Well, thatʼs not going to work.” Give it a try and see if it works, it will take thirty seconds to try it instead of spending five minutes of arguing about it. I would also highly suggest NOT go out to do a bunch of drugs the night before you go in the studio, I mean its just a suggestion...now if you do them during the day time that's ok. LOL

MUEN Magazine May 2009 Part 1 - PG. 31

At that point a band should hire a good engineer. If you're going to hire a producer, you are hiring him because you respect what he/she has to say and like I've mentioned before, not everybody is right all the time. At least listen to what they have to say. You may not agree but it may make you think of another way to do something. The thing is; as producers we can't do what we do without a artist, if that was the case we would have our own band and yes, their are producers that have there own bands.

now your flat, do it again, don't worry about it, we'll tune that vocal for ya or I'll call my Grandma to come in and sing it for you. MUEN: WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PART OF RECORDING AN ALBUM?

There is a couple, for me. Vocals are one of my favorite parts because at the end of the day, vocals are what's going to sell a record. I will apologize to all the other band members right now for saying that. Its not like singers don't already have big heads. LOL...Come on, there MUEN: DO YOU OR are drummer jokes too. THE ARTISTS EVER Lol I feel if the vocals GET UPSET WHILE aren't good and believYOU WORK? able then how is anyone going to believe in the Everyone gets a bit grumpy every now and music. I'm going to get some nasty emails from again. After working 7 guitar players huh...LOL days a week, 14 hours a day every so often there The thing is it has to have attitude. It doesnʼt is a bit of tension. Itʼs matter if you're singing a more because of the pop song or a hardcore MUEN: THAT IS AWE- hours then the project song, vocals are what SOME ADVICE. THERE but it all blows over WILL BE PEOPLE pretty quick. Bands that make it. WHO WILL READ work with me know if I THAT AND TAKE IT. haven't had my morning MUEN: IN REGARDS TO GUITAR HERO III, YOU HAVE MADE IN- cup of coffee or the ARE ALL OF THE CREDIBLE ALBUMS singers girl friend the SO IF SOMEONE night before I may be a SONGS RERECORDED OR ARE WANTS TO COME IN bit grumpy..LOL SOME OF THEM ORIGAND ARGUE WITH Yeah I know, I keep INALS? YOU, I FEEL THAT IS cracking singer jokes, RIDICULOUS. THEN someone has to give Some are re-records DONʼT HIRE A PROthem a hard time. Oh DUCER, DO IT YOUR- wait, we do, your sharp, and some are master tracks. We did “Rock SELF.

PG. 32 - MUEN Magazine May 2009 Part 1 You Like a Hurricane.” I was told in a meeting at Activision “We didnʼt know we got the master tracks for that song.” and someone said “thatʼs the re-record.” It was our job to make sure every rerecord sounded identical to the original to add realism. I think there were quite a bit of original master tracks used for Guitar Hero III. We ended up doing eight of them. Our ninth song we pulled off, but then used for the Aerosmith release. I think bands realize if they donʼt give up the master tracks, they are going to give it to someone to do a rerecord and we are going to make it sound identical to their original. At that point you might as well just give up the original and make money from it. The concept of Guitar Hero is truly amazing and itʼs exciting to apart of the biggest selling video game in history.

troller that is actually geared for a guitar. My friend Steve did all of the guitar work on the game and was the overseer of everything on the songs we did. He is a killer guitar player and I suggested to him that he should post a video on YouTube on how he played the song, but do it using one of the Guitar Hero controllers (Now push the red button then double pick using the yellow button. LOL I think it would be funny)

MUEN: IF YOU GET A CHANCE, CHECK OUT THE BAND BLACK TIDE. THEY ARE REALLY GREAT MUSICIANS FOR AS YOUNG AS THEY ARE.

Haven't heard them but I'll check them out. Some of these younger players are great. They actually take the time to learn about different amps, guitars, tubes and work on finding "Their" sound. Sometimes its MUEN: IS USED TO more than just plugging ASK SOME OF THE a guitar into a amp. GUITAR PLAYERS I There's so much that HAVE INTERVIEWED can be done. All the guiHOW WELL THEY tar heroes we grew up PLAY THE GAME. A with had a sound, it LOT OF THEM CONmade listening to FESSED THEY COULD records more interestNOT DO IT. ing...well to me (before all you singers out there Itʼs the controller that start getting bent out of gets them. They need to shape you have to give come out with a consome credit to your gui-

tar players...LOL)

I think we went through a period where people stopped learning how to play, I mean really play. I love the fact that younger players are wearing classic rock shits. Those are the bands we grew up listening to where the players were absolutely phenomenal. When I was working for EMI, anytime we would do a session, you would have the top players in L.A. walk in. They would listen to the song once, they would lay down the part and an hour later they were walking out the door and it was perfect. It didnʼt require any editing at all. I remember Paul Gilbert (Mr. Big) came in and knocked out 8 songs, rhythms and leads in 4 hours. NO JOKE... The tracks were perfect. Billy Sheehan was the way on bass, killer! It really just shows that when you stay home and practice and work on your instrument you can be the guy that walks in knock out the parts in a reasonable amount of time. Maybe not as good as Paul and Billy, I mean come on.. They are freaky good!

MUEN: DO YOU FEEL LIKE SOME HAVE A GIFT AND OTHERS REALLY HAVE TO

WORK AT IT HARD? Yes, 100%...sorry, no long winded answer.

MUEN: DO YOU FEEL THAT IT IS IMPORTANT TO KNOW AN INSTRUMENT IN ORDER TO BE A PRODUCER?

If you have a really good understanding of music and have an ear it helps. I feel itʼs good if you can relate to the players on their level. I started out playing piano, that lasted a few years then started drumming.That seemed to work for me. I played bass for about 6 months and messed around with guitar but I stopped everything when I got tendonitis. I really like guitar, but when I have to grip cords after about five minutes my wrist hurts...ah poor me. I do watch guitar players play and may notice they are gripping a guitar chord a little hard, or bending a note with your pinky, I would say most of the time they donʼt even notice because their focus is playing the song which is where it should be. After you point something out the response is normally “Oh Shit, I am?” That's a way better response then (GO FUCK YOURSELF) That's what I mean about having an understanding of what they

are doing. The same thing goes for bass players, singers and drummers. MUEN: I WAS SNOOPING THROUGH YOUR PICS AND NOTICED THAT YOUR DOG STARR LOVES TO POSE FOR THE CAMERA.

Yeah, sheʼs a bit of a slut. She has a habit of getting on people laps, flipping over and spreading her legs. Sheʼd be great in porn. Sheʼs pretty funny and I love her to death. She is with me everyday. Her day consists of lying on the couch and sleeping. The louder the music gets, the harder she sleeps. I think its funny. MUEN: WHERE CAN BANDS REACH YOU IF THEY ARE INTERESTED IN RECORDING WITH YOU? MySpace is totally fine. I have the Myspace.com/ryangreene page or email me at alteredvisionmusic@gmail .com If you go to ryangreene.com that takes you to my myspace too. I'm getting together a new .com site but that works for now. I'm always interested in working with bands on many different levels so if you

need someone to Produce/Engineer or even mix give me a call. I want to take a minute to thank MUEN Magazine

MUEN Magazine May 2009 Part 1 - PG. 33

me know! and Shauna for taking the time for the interview. I'm always here for you and if you ever need anything please let

PG. 34 - MUEN Magazine May 2009 Part 1

BELLA MORTE

Andy Deane (Vocals) Charlottesville, Virginia By: Shauna O'Donnell

MUEN: HOW ARE YOU DOING?

I'm doing very well. I just got home. We did three months of touring this summer and another 10 days was tacked on to it in November. It is very cold in the Northeast so I'm happy to be back at my house for a little bit.

MUEN: YOU'RE IN CHARLOTTESVILLE, VIRGINIA RIGHT?

Yeah, that's correct.

MUEN: ON OCTOBER 7TH, YOUR LATEST RELEASE, BEAUTIFUL DEATH, HIT STORES. I THOUGHT THAT IT WAS COOL HOW BELLA MORTE TRANSLATES INTO BEAUTIFUL DEATH. SO IN A WAY, THIS IS A SELF-TITLED ALBUM. YOU HAVE QUITE A FEW ALBUMS UNDER YOUR BELT, SO WHY A SELF TITLED ALBUM NOW?

tion of the band. We wanted it to be the album that really defined the band. Once this thing started coming together, there just wasn't any doubt in our mind that this should be the one that carries the name like that. We are really happy with all the It just felt right for this re- songs and it's an interesting album, because lease. It's one of those the style of the band things we have talked has changed over the about since the incep-

years. We started with a very Goth rock sound and went with a more metal sound later on. This album kind of ties all that together. It tied up any loose strings and gave us one sound that we think is all our own. We thought this would be perfect.

MUEN: I DID LISTEN TO IT AND I THINK IT IS AWESOME.

Thanks!

MUEN: TELL ME ABOUT THIS ALBUM. DO YOU WRITE ALL THE LYRICS?

I do write all of the lyrics but we are not one of those bands that is basically a "one guy" project - where there is just one person writing everything and then hiring musicians to play every-

thing. We are a band in the truest sense of the word. This album is no exception to that. Micah and I did a lot of the preliminary writing as far as getting the skeletons for the songs laid out, and then we would bring the other guys in to drop their parts on top of it. It really came out great and it was very easy to work on this album. Actually, Micah did all of the engineering and mixing on this one. It's our first self-produced album. We're very happy with that as well, because it makes the album more personal.

SONGS REPRESENT A THEME?

MUEN Magazine May 2009 Part 1 - PG. 35

some broken amps, and a drum machine. We started pounding out They don't all represent these really dirgy gothic the same thing, but rock anthems. As we there is a stream that picked up members and has been flowing became a full live band, through what Bella our sound changed Morte has done since somewhat, but the heart we started; the harsh of Bella Morte has never nature of time moving shifted. What we are on. No matter how good about at heart is still the or bad things are, time same. is going to keep moving on you. You have to MUEN: YOU HAVE AN make the most of what AMAZNG VOICE. DID you have because YOU HAVE ANY CLASeverything is fleeting. SICAL TRAINING?

and that works just as well. As much as it's a negative, it's also a positive. It works both ways for us.

MUEN: SO, YOU HAVE WRITTEN A NOVEL CALLED THE STICKS. TELL US WHAT IT IS ABOUT.

Yes. Well, it's a horror novel and it is coming out on Delirium Books this coming April. I'm pretty excited about it. I started writing it to kill hours while we were out MUEN: WOULD YOU I actually took five years on the road traveling SAY THAT YOUR of opera training and it from city to city. I have SOUND IS UNIQUE? helped a lot. It made a been a horror fanatic huge difference in how since I can remember, Absolutely. I can defimuch control I have so it was a no brainer to nitely hear several of over my voice and how start working on a horMUEN: WHAT DOES our influences from over long I can sustain a THIS ALBUM MEAN ror novel. After finishing the years in there, but note. Taking lessons TO YOU PERSONit I was thinking that what we do is Bella was one of the best ALLY? maybe I should try and Morte. I don't think things I could have done do something with it inconsidering Bella Morte stead of letting it collect For me, it was a matter there's another band out there that sounds is so reliant on melody. dust, so I reached out to of getting some songs together that were mini like us. I'm pretty proud a few publishers - and of that as well. There is MUEN: DO YOU FIND epics. We wanted luckily for me - I got the a younger generation of IT HARD TO FIND shorter songs, but one I really wanted, Goth bands who we BANDS TO OPEN UP wanted them to be which was Delirium. FOR YOU WHILE enormous regardless of have influenced. It is Since then, I have comflattering as hell, but I YOU'RE ON TOUR BE- pleted my second novel their lengths. We think what we have is CAUSE YOUR SOUND and I'm working on a wanted them to sound unique. IS SO DIVERSE? like these huge stories third, along with a short that could have an imstories collection and a MUEN: YOU GUYS Sometimes, but we pact on anybody spooky children's book. HAVE BEEN AROUND have always been able I figure I'll be doing quite where the lyrics are to get around it. The specific enough and yet FOR A WHILE. YOU a lot of writing over the cool thing about us STARTED THE BAND vague enough to be next few years, maybe BACK IN 1996 RIGHT? being diverse is that we even a screenplay or able to apply to anycan bring Goth rock one's life - and I think two. Yes, it was just me and bands on tour with us we accomplished that. and it works just fine. Gopal, the ex bass MUEN: THAT'S On the other hand, we player in the band. It MUEN: WOULD YOU GREAT! IT WILL ALSO can bring a Metal band BE AVAILABLE FOR was just the two of us, SAY THAT THE

PG. 36 - MUEN Magazine May 2009 Part 1 DIGITAL DOWNLOAD CORRECT?

new CD recently. It's a pretty diverse site. There are even forums Absolutely. It will be where you can talk to available for digital other horror fans, which download as well as the is always a good time. Amazon Kindle, a digital book you can download MUEN: I AGREE. DID novels and stuff to it. YOU HAVE INTEREST The Kindle seems to be IN WRITING EARLY ON getting more and more OR WAS IT SOMEpopular every day. But THING YOU JUST in the end I'm a tradiSTUMBLED UPON? tionalist; I like the feel of an actual hardback or I've been writing my paperback in my hand whole life. In school, I alwhen I'm reading, and I ways liked English class do a lot of reading. At and writing came natuthe same time, you can't rally to me. I was defiargue with where the nitely not the math market is going. student. Writing "The Whether you love it or Sticks" kind of hapnot, what is going to pened by accident. I happen is going to hap- started writing a short pen. I'm psyched that story and it just kept Delirium and Horror Mall growing and growing. have made this possible The next thing I knew, I for me. had my first novel completed. It's something I MUEN: YEAH, TELL have always been interME A LITTLE ABOUT ested in, but wasn't sure HORROR MALL. I SAW I would ever get this far SOMETHING ABOUT with. Now it's looking THAT ON YOUR PAGE. like a second career. IS IT AN ONLINE STORE WHERE YOU MUEN: WELL CONCAN BUY THINGS GRATULATIONS! I THAT ARE HORROR WAS READING YOUR RELATED? MYSPACE PAGE AND IT LOOKS LIKE YOU You nailed it on the ARE A BIG FAN OF head. Horror Mall is HORROR MOVIES. hands-down the best WHICH ONE WOULD place online to get indie YOU SAY IS YOUR ABhorror novels. They sell SOLUTE FAVORITE? movies and I've seen a few t-shirts on there as Oh man! It changes well. They were even from week to week. I will selling limited edition, tell you the one that had signed copies of our the biggest impact on

me as a kid, and that I still love today, is the original Halloween film. I think it's just beautiful and I love how patient the film is. You spend most of the film getting to know the characters and building atmosphere, and then when there's like 20 minutes left, it really hits the fan and the Michael is in your face. The whole last movement of that film is just incredible. I don't think there is another slasher film out there that can remotely compare to it.

It was a pretty big honor to be able to see myself in a comic book.

MUEN: DO YOU PLAY ANY INSTRUMENTS ON ANY OF THE ALBUMS?

I do some of the keyboard programming. When I'm laying down the skeleton of a song sometimes I'll lay in a guitar line. Tony is a much, much better guitarist than me, so he always goes in and re-records it, adds his own flare. It always sounds a hell of a lot better when he plays it. MUEN: I READ THAT Sometimes when I proBELLA MORTE HAS gram a synth part Micah APPEARANCES IN will go in and manipulate ROSS CAMPBELL'S the sounds after the NOVELS THE ABANfact. He has a really DONDED AND WET good ear for that kind of MOON. HOW IS IT thing. He tweaks the THAT THE BAND sounds and gets them MADE AN APPEARsounding really full and ANCE IN A NOVEL? in your face. I'm not a great instrumentalist, but We were playing a gig I can get around well in, I want to say it was enough on most of them South Carolina, and Ross happened to come to write a song. out. He became a really big fan of the band and MUEN: YOU HAVE we hit it off after the gig, HAD SOME RECENT LINEUP CHANGES. just shooting the crap and whatnot. We stayed HOW IS THAT GOING? DO YOU THINK YOU in touch and the next thing you know we were HAVE A PRETTY SOLID LINE-UP NOW? in one of his books It was really flattering. I grew up a big comic fan. I do. I love the guys I'm playing with right now. I love Ross's stuff. I think his Wet Moon se- It's a tricky thing with a ries and The Abandoned band our size. We're not are both just incredible. as big as AFI or some-

thing like that to where the band provides a completely carefree, easy life. The band takes a lot of dedication, and because we are not as big as those guys, it requires a lot of sacrifices. I understand when guys want to go because it gets too rough on them. It's ok. There haven't been many situations where there are a lot of hard feelings when people have left. This is what I love to do and I don't see myself stopping any time soon, especially seeing the success of this latest album. It's really encouraging.

MUEN: PEOPLE LEAVE BANDS FOR DIFFERENT REASONS. IT'S NOT ALWAYS A NEGATIVE THING.

nice. As an underground band it's nice to have this demographic laid out for you in one place… unlike MySpace where there are people from all walks of life. You are definitely going to see more dyed hair and tattoos on VampireFreaks than on MySpace. If you're into a certain underground band it's an easy place to start networking to find other music you're in to. MUEN: YEAH IT'S A GREAT SITE. I WAS LOOKING AT YOURS EARLIER. YOU HAVE ONE DATE LEFT ON YOUR TOUR SCHEDULE. WILL YOU BE ADDING MORE DATES?

After this show on December 13th in our hometown we'll be writing new music for the Absolutely. rest of the winter. We would really rather not MUEN: YOU ARE AFget out on the road until FILIATED WITH VAM- February or March at PIREFREAKS.COM. this point, because the THAT IS ANOTHER weather is awful and we PLACE WHERE PEO- have a lot of work to do PLE CAN LOCATE at home. When you go YOU AS WELL. DO out in winter, it's so YOU HAVE A PAGE much more of a gamble. THERE? Losing shows to weather or sickness is a We do have a profile bigger possibility. Those there. I think it is vam10 or 11 days we were pirefreaks/bellamorteout in November were music. It's kind of a cold as hell! By the end MySpace thing only a lit- of it, three out of the five tle more specific to the band members were underground, which is sick, and two of them

MUEN Magazine May 2009 Part 1 - PG. 37

were getting pretty seriously ill. They needed to get home. We stuck it out, but if you can take the winter off and tour when the weather is better, I'd definitely advise it.

One thing I love hearing is, "Your album is the soundtrack for my senior year in high school", or "that song reminds me of when I met my wife." It's like our music marks time, especially a good time, in someone's life… MUEN: I NEVER or that their memories THOUGHT OF IT THAT are forged with one of WAY BECAUSE I'M songs forever. That is a FROM CALIFORNIA really cool thing. I know AND WE DON'T REthat feeling, and to me, ALLY HAVE A LOT OF it's the greatest compliBAD WEATHER HERE. ment.

Yeah! You lucky bastards! I always tell people I'm from Virginia and they are like, "It's always warm there." And I'm like, "Go to hell, it is not always warm here!" (Laughing) It's really not. We have nice summers here, but the winters can get pretty chilly.

MUEN: ANYTHING ELSE YOUʼD LIKE TO ADD?

Check out our album Beautiful Death. We are pleased as hell with it, so we want people to be on the lookout. Check us out at MySpace and VampireFreaks. We try to make ourselves as MUEN: WHAT DO YOU accessible to fans as DO TO PREPARE TO possible. Our fans are GO ON STAGE? ANY extremely important to RITUALS? us, kind of like an extended family. So defiYou know, I really don't. nitely get in touch if you I have been playing live like what you hear. for so long, it's just not a rough thing for me to jump on stage and go without warming up. We'll be hanging out backstage and wait for someone to yell, "Hey, it's Showtime!"

MUEN: WHAT IS THE BIGGEST COMPLIMENT A FAN HAS EVER PAID TO YOU?

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The Parlor Mob

things, in-store performances at different record shops and we are heading out (Roadrunner Records) to ..Europe.. (March).” This was Mark Melicia (vocals) their first time going to Europe and they By: Shauna O’Donnell were very excited about it. “Playing I decided to have night after night has another little chat taught us to do difwith The Parlor Mob ferent things to spice just to see how up the show for ourthings are going with selves. It’s not so them. I had been much for the crowd hearing good things because it’s not like and wanted to hear people are following for myself. They us, have been spending quite a

bit of time out on the road. When asked how things were out on the road Mark replied “It’s treating us well, some cities are better than others, but for the most part it’s been a very good tour thus far. We are doing some radio promotional

of this year in support of And You Were a Crow. “We are looking to hopefully do the next record sometime early next year. We will be touring this record aggressively throughout the year and then move on.” he confirms.

the response has been to it in which he replied “It seems like everyone is digging it. It’s pretty straight forward; it’s basically a performance video with some extras involved. It turned out to be amazing. It was shot on all film, like for movie theaters.The They are going on film was treated bethe radio with a sin- fore it was shot to gle and they just give it the effects. finished the video for It kind of looks like “Hard Times” which a photograph that is also going to be a comes to life.” single. In April they If you

put out their record on vinyl. “We are really exwatching us every cited about it. It’s night. We have nice to have somelearned how to keep thing tangible to our lives exciting and hold in your hands make the songs that while listening to the we have been playing music. It’s cool befor the last couple cause you have the months or years ex- big artwork.” citing.” They will continue to tour In regards to the throughout the rest video, I asked what

are able to catch one of The Parlor Mobs shows, I encourage it. If you love listening to their record, you will love seeing them live even more. Stop by their page and say hello at MySpace.com/theparlormob.

WWW.MANGLAZE.COM

LIVE REVIEW

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SEVENDUST

Emerald Theater Detroit, MI

Review and Photos by Diana Price

What's So Funny About Peace, Love, and Understanding?

Since Barack Obama's nomination and subsequent election as the first African-American president of the United States, we have been bombarded with commentary about how he has broken racial barriers, winning traditionally "red" states and southern states. But political superstar that he is, Obama would likely have his hands full winning over a crowd of beer-guzzling, good ol' boys into metal and hard rock.

For Lajon Witherspoon, it's all in a days work, and has been for years as the frontman for Sevendust. Witherspoon is one of only a few African-American vocalists in heavy Best Rock Vocalists of metal, yet has garnered such respect he All Time in 2008. was named #35 on Hit And when you see Parader's list of 100

Sevendust live, you can see he's earned his place. He may be short in stature, but he

thrashed his muscular frame around the stage, Keith Morrisesque dreads whip-

ping around him as the band covered songs from their full discography, going back as far as "Denial" from 1999's Home, to "Inside" from their current release, Chapter IIV: Hope and Sorrow. You'd expect Witherspoon to be a total hardcore badass, but he showed the Detroit crowd a bit of a different side that night. At one point, he called out to a couple of soldiers in the crowd still in camouflages, and as they were hoisted over the crowd to the pit, Witherspoon stopped security from booting them out, and took one of the soldiers on stage to thank him for his service. To roaring applause, as you can imagine.

fights at their shows -he called to them to stop and handed the men a second drumstick, ending the brewing fight and inspiring the men to hug each other to the crowd's applause.

Who knew he could be such a sensitive guy and ambassador of peace and goodwill?

The Emerald Theater was sold out for this show supporting Black Label Society, and as I looked up from the front row into the balconies in that old theater, I could see about every face in there, and I only saw one that was African-American. But I didn't see any that weren't rocking out.

If that won't win over a rough crowd of metal- I can't see Obama as a heads and biker types I rock star, but for Lajon don't know what will. Witherspoon, who knows... maybe he has Then as the set rea promising future in sumed, a drumstick politics and diplomacy, had been thrown in the should he ever get audience. I watched as tired of rock and roll. two men both had a deathgrip on it, strugBut given the show gling to rip it from each Sevendust put on in other, neither giving it Detroit, I can't see that up. They seemed on happening anytime the verge of blows, but soon. And thank god Witherspoon quickly for that. put an end to that. It's one thing to have a pit, but he's not having any

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PG. 42 - MUEN Magazine May 2009 Part 1

SACRED OATH By Natalie Perez

Twenty five years what could possibly be any better than having been in a band doing what you love to do for that long? Sacred Oath is one of those types of bands that absolutely love the thing they do when creating music and first getting together in 1984 in the icy depths of Danbury, Connecticut. Rob Thorne, Kenny Evans, Bill Smith, Scott Waite have formed and succeeded with unleashing upon the masses a powerful but aggressive style of music that all; metalheads will surely enjoy. Front man Rob Thorne took the time to talk to me about the upcoming release of their newest installment the band's first self-titled debut with brand new material engraved all over it. It surely shall not be a disappointment in any way possible. Here's how the interview went down....

MUEN: INTRODUCE YOURSELF, AND GIVE A BRIEF SUMMARY ON SACRED OATH FOR THOSE NOT FAMILIAR WITH THE BAND.

going for it in the States and here we are we our fourth studio album out. MUEN: YOUR SELFTITLED ALBUM SHOULD BE HITTING COME NEXT Rob: Iʼm Rob Thorne MONTH, one of the founding THOUGHTS? members of Sacred Oath first formed in Rob: Well actually I 1985 when I was in need to correct that high school and our the third studio album debut album was re- the fourth album was leased in 87 by Mer- actually a live album. cenary Records itʼs What are my called “A Crystal Vi- thoughts on the new sion,” and weʼre back album coming out? Well Iʼm super optitogether again bemistic because the cause that album began to take a life of album actually came its own. Especially in out last week excluEurope and more re- sively on iTunes they cently has something have a pre-release

on it and itʼs been doing very, very, really well, so with the reviews that have come out so far and release of the video on MTV, overall the reputation on it, has been so positive that Iʼm not nervous Iʼm excited actually.

MUEN: WHO DID THE ARTWORK, TITLE, AND LYRICS FOR IT?

Rob: I write most of the lyrics and we decided to self-title the album because itʼs in many ways an album thatʼs a rebirth of the band. Itʼs the first album in the last cou-

ple of years with entirely brand new material. And I think it definitely establishes what Sacred Oath really is. Not only back together and active again but stronger than we ever have been. The cover art, was conceptually and design wise put together by IOANNIS he goes by one name, heʼs done a lot of different things heʼs done about hundred album covers from Extreme, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Almond Brothers, Fate The Mourning, we started working with him for just this record and he went over our lyrics and he came back to us with this concept of this pilot on a mission for the front of the album. We liked the concept and he came back with the painting and we were just blown away and it seems up the whole mood and lyrically concept of the album really well. We were really happy to pair up with him and itʼs been a really cool package deal, and everyone seems to love the

MUEN Magazine May 2009 Part 1 - PG. 43

forward to touring and playing the new material on the album and are totally awesome to see the new generation of metal heads and younger kids coming out to our shows, and MUEN: WHAT ARE making it their own sound and style THE UPCOMING which is great and PLANS FOR SAwho we are, which is CRED OATH IN good for us. They are 2009? the most fun types of people in the audiRob: Well thereʼs a ence and just eat it lot going on for the up, I love playing it band right now, I for those kids over mean more than there ever has been. and over again. So right now we just came through for that MUEN: WHAT ARE THE LARGEST AND pre-release of the album which we had SMALLEST a huge push for of re- CROWDS YOU'VE views and interviews PLAYED IN FRONT for the press and in- OF? ternet stuff and right Rob: Thatʼs probably now weʼre focusing on the European re- the second time Iʼve been asked that lease on May 22nd and U.S. release on question, well everybody has probably May 12th. I think once the album is re- had one show in their lease weʼre going to life where theyʼve played for like 10 go out on tour, and people, (Laughs) start off in Asia and luckily that hasnʼt probably go to Eubeen too recently, Iʼm rope and then wind up in the states and trying to think of what show that might have then definitely start the states in Los An- been if our drummer geles. Weʼre looking were here heʼd be

we were huge Mercyful Fate fans at the time and still are and “Donʼt Break The Oath,” had just come MUEN: WHY THE out and anything with NAME SACRED OATH, WHAT DOES the name “oath” is cool by us. IT SYMBOLIZE?

cover and weʼre really happy on how it defines the album.

Rob: Well ya know I think weʼve always been fascinated with spiritual and occult themes in our lyrics and Sacred Oath the name sort of conquers up the spiritual condition but it can be either way we are fascinated between the whole fight sequence between good and evil and we thought that name rather sort of leaning towards any particular direction it sort of I donʼt know if youʼve seen any of our logos, where weʼll have the angel on top and the devil on the bottom it seems to work out, it seems to work lyrically and also sounds cool and what our originally bass player thought of while we were washing dishes at the Sycamore Restaurant at the age of 15 and plus

PG. 44 - MUEN Magazine May 2009 Part 1

energy instated both on the guitar and vocally and I know what it takes and he was such a performer and so magnetic and he had that whole room blowing up and thatʼs what impressed me the most about him. I donʼt think I have a favorite Bodom song, mostly because Iʼm not the biggest Bodom fan but Iʼm a MUEN: YOU ADMIRE ALEXI LAIHO fan of him and what heʼs doing. OF CHILDREN OF BODOM, WHY HIM, WHATʼS YOUR FA- MUEN: HAVE YOU EVER RUN INTO VORITE BODOM THE SAME QUESSONG? TIONS FOR AN INRob: Well thatʼs inter- TERVIEW TWICE? esting because heʼs MUEN: WHAT WAS not my favorite guitar Rob: (Laughs) all the THE FIRST SHOW player but one of the time and its funny YOU GUYS current guitar players that the questions PLAYED? that I enjoy and I only you get asked over and over are the say that because I Rob: (Laughs) The went and saw them ones you hate to answer in the first very first show we live, Iʼm not a huge place and when you played was the Dev- fan of their discs I end up coming up ils Café in Norwalk, have like 2 or 3 of Connecticut and I re- their discs but donʼt with an answer to member that bereally listen to them. that question and the cause I was 15 and When I went and saw next thing you know youʼre just spitting we played a biker bar them open up for out that same answer and just being in a Megadeth at the bar alone was so Hammersteam Ball- all the time. People are always asking cool and to top it off room he came out me what are my faand have twenty because he is a hardcore bikers in singer/guitar player vorite albums of all time and I keep spitfront of us shaking he came out with ting out the same antheir heads to “Wel- such a furious high able to give you all the details I have a very poor memory. The largest show weʼve played would either have to be Keep It True Festival in 2007 in Germany where our live album was recorded that was also the opening night of our tour. Or back in the 80ʼs where we opened for Warlock where they were at the height of their frame, and there were thousands and thousands of people at that show that was a cool experience they were huge at the time.

come Princess Of Hell,” by Mercyful Fate it was very cool a small dive, but that was fun and that the first show I played with Sacred Oath. The first show I ever played in my life was a 6th grade Valentineʼs Day dance that wasnʼt Sacred Oath though. (Laughs).

swers over and over and I start to think last week those were but now I like this set of albums.

MUEN: DO YOU EVER GET TIRED OF HEARING THE SAME QUESTIONS FROM JOURNALISTS?

Rob: (Laughs) No not really honestly I think itʼs awesome that anyone is still interested in what Sacred Oath is doing and take the time to find out and take the time to write it down and I love to talk.

MUEN: YOU GUYS JUST SHOT A VIDEO FOR "COUNTING ZEROS," WHAT WAS THAT LIKE?

Rob: That was filmed on location in Connecticut in February and I know you havenʼt been to Connecticut but in fact I know you havenʼt been anywhere, where it gets really cold. It took 14 hours to shoot outside and we had 14 degrees out and we were

freezing and our faces were like clenched against the elements and it was a great experience because it had actors kids in it and we had no idea what it was going to be like. It was difficult to be out there that long in the cold, but it was awesome the kid Andrew Burn starred in the video he took direction well and is a student of mine and I was really proud of him and in the end we were really happy on how it turned out When it came out and had it premiere on MTVʼs Headbangerʼs Blog was like the icing on the cake. MUEN: "TILL DEATH DO US PART," WAS THE BANDS FIRST LIVE ALBUM, WHAT WAS THAT EXPERIENCE LIKE?

Rob: That was a great experience not only did we have a great night that night but was the first night of our first European tour and it was very respected traditional

festival in Germany the metal capital of the world and on top of all that we didnʼt have a clue we were recording a live album. So we didnʼt have any of that selfconsciousness of you know youʼre being recorded and that album really truly is a pure live Sacred Oath album and not focused on how we were playing but for the fans and to find out after the show that the engineer had recorded it and had made the tapes available for us was awesome and when we got back the tapes in the states and listened to them in my studio you know what there is a lot of energy on recording that its totally Sacred Oath. So we mixed it and put it out. The funny thing is that people told us to not put it out the people in the industry kept saying to us that live albums donʼt sell nobody is interested in live albums and just going to waste time and I didnʼt wanna hear it so we went ahead of it on our

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PG. 46 - MUEN Magazine May 2009 Part 1

own and a step away from Sentinel Steel and thatʼs when things started to take off for the band.

MUEN: WILL WE BE SEEING A LIVE DVD ON THE NEXT TOUR ROUND-UP?

Rob: Thatʼs the second time Iʼve been asked that one before too, (Laughs) we you know itʼs funny because that is becoming the new thing every time a band tours they make a DVD because I guess the album sales are down and DVD sales are up but we have no plans on doing a DVD during this tour, but you never know we donʼt have anything planned if you wanna see the band you gota come to the shows.

that weʼre still doing this and that its still so much fun and we played with so many bands in the 90ʼs itʼs a real privilege to be able to come back together and make a good album and do a tour and have a successful live album and then have another album be our best work yet Iʼm the happiest guy in the world, Iʼm on top of the world right now. MUEN: ARE YOU THE MAIN INTERVIEWER WHEN IT COMES TO INTERVIEWS?

Rob: Yeah I donʼt think anyone else has done any interviews, I got start spreading that out, and Iʼm losing my voice I wonʼt be able to sing (Laughs). We do, do radio interviews where we all MUEN: WHEN YOU get together and LOOK BACK ON crash the studio, and WHEN SACRED tear it apart but genOATH FIRST erally for this album STARTED UP UNTIL Iʼve done, most of the NOW, WHAT DO interviews. YOU THINK? MUEN: IF YOU HAD Rob: What do I A CHANCE TO GO think? I canʼt believe BACK IN TIME,

WHERE, WHAT, AND WHY?

successfully as it was it cracked the top 15 and turned our world Rob: Well I really upside down. I have donʼt live with many some meetings here regrets to try not to, and how that goes the past is the past we may have to and Iʼm really happy change it in a few with everything I weeks, and doing a have I donʼt have any few interviews here complaints but if I and enjoying the 100 were to go back I degree temptations would go back to the because its 40 devery beginning with grees in Connecticut. Sacred Oath when w e were having diffiMUEN: WHAT ARE culty with our label YOU CURRENTLY and probably handle LISTENING TOO things differently at RIGHT NOW? that time, but we were punk kids at Rob: I like that questhat time, and the tion Iʼm a vinyl junkie way we reacted weʼd in fact right after this I just walk away. But if have a meeting down I did have a chance by Amoeba I have Iʼd would have han- but Iʼm going to hit dle things a lot differ- there first, I listen to ently. a lot of music is music I listen to 30 MUEN: WHAT ARE years ago I picked up YOU DOING IN L.A. the reissue of Judas CAME DOWN FOR Priestʼs “British A BUSINESS TRIP? Steel,” great album listen to Black SabRob: I have some bath, Iron Maiden, meetings for distribu- Metallica, Motorhead, tion the new album as for the new renobody knows this leases I listen to a litbut the release date tle Trivium, I like for the new album Slayer, but donʼt lisMay 12TH will proba- ten to them a whole bly be pushed back a lot. Being a singer I few weeks since the enjoy listening to the iTunes release was metal genre where

the singer sings melodically. “Say No Mercy,” and “Hell Awaits,” are my all time favorite Slayer albums. A very melodic feel to it I dig into it.

“that one,” and then go into another store and then “no this one.” I love playing my Flying-V itʼs easy to use and not too heavy on my shoulders. Iʼll probably be looking around while here in L.A.

MUEN: WHAT GUITARS DO YOU OWN AND IS THERE ONE MUEN: THANKS THAT YOU WANT FOR DOING THE INTO OWN? TERVIEW, ANYTHING ELSE YOU'D Rob: I love the guiLIKE TO ADD? tars I have right now every guitar I have is Rob: As always Iʼd a nice guitar. I have a like to give a special 71 Gibson Les Paul thanks to the Oathwhich is my main stu- bangers what we call dio recording guitar. I our fans the ones on have a 1984 Gibson the West Coast, we Flying-V another defiantly plan on main studio guitar going on tour this and ones I use when year and not only see playing live. I have a the Oathbangers but 1981 B.C. Custom see other fans that guitar and the only have joined the ranks one I use because of of the metal world. the whammy bar Thank you for comwhich I use a lot. A ing out and doing 1978 navigator ES this; nice of you to do copy which is a great so. sounding guitar but I used it which is metal, what guitar would I like to own? There are a lot Iʼd like to own. Oh man, uh no because I can walk into any store right now and be like,

MUEN Magazine May 2009 Part 1 - PG. 47

WWW.MYSPACE.COM/CARLOSZEMA

PG. 48 - MUEN Magazine May 2009 Part 1

IN YOUR RECORDINGS?

By G. Cataline

S-X: we have ALWAYS been a duo. we write all music and lyrics and do artwork for our albums. Sometimes, we had musicians for live shows, but that was all. We never let anyone put their hands on our music...Only Kiwamu, for the remake of Tea Party with Zombies and for Darkest Night Ever, played the guitars. Kiwamu is a very serious and dedicated artist, just like us.

YOU HAVE A UPCOMING SHOW AT THE KNITTING FACTORY IN HOLLYWOOD ON MAY 23RD. IS THIS THE ONLY SHOW YOU ARE DOING IN THE U.S., THIS TIME AROUND?

S-X: hello! At the moment, that is the only date that is sure. This is our first time there, so we have to see how the show goes, how people react..before thinking about a largest USA tour.

NULLIFER, IS FROM CHICAGO, AND MOVED TO ITALY TO BE WITH CANDYBONES.. THAT MUST HAVE BEEN QUITE A MOVE, WAS IT DIFFICULT ADAPTING TO ITALY, COMING FROM AMERICA? DO YOU MISS ANYTHING FROM AMERICA? AND WHAT DO YOU LIKE BEST ABOUT ITALY?

S-X: Moving to Italy was the best choice. italy and USA are different, but Italy is an amazing place to

live. the USA is better for a band that plays industrial metal though...So, the only bad thing about Italy is that the alternative/gothic scene is very small.

HAVE YOU ALWAYS JUST BEEN A DUO (NULLIFER AND CANDYBONES)? DO YOU TAKE ON OTHER MUSICIANS FOR LIVE SHOWS? DO YOU HAVE OTHER MUSICIANS INCLUDED

MUEN Magazine May 2009 Part 1 - PG. 49

D E N O P T S O P YOU RELEASED YOUR DEBUT ALBUM IN 2006 TITLED "TEA PARTY WITH ZOMBIES" .. SO YOU RE-RELEASED THIS ALBUM AFTER BEING SIGNED? THEN YOU ALSO

RELEASED "DARKEST NIGHT EVER" IN THE SAME YEAR.. WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE TWO ALBUMS?

S-X: Tea party With Zombies , in our first

original version, is a rough, violent, creepy journey into dark fairy tales, fear and craziness. Darkest Night Ever and the remake of Tea Party are still dark and creepy, but probably alot more "elegant".

Victorian horror, I can say. Still scary, but also sweet and warm like a cup of good tea poured in silver cups. Poisoned tea, obviously... DO YOUR INFLUENCES DIFFER AT

PG. 50 - MUEN Magazine May 2009 Part 1

ALL BETWEEN THE with a few friends, having tea at 5 pm in TWO OF YOU? small elegant bars or S-X: We are one soul just staying at home watching movies and in 2 bodies.... Nullifer is the violent we have fun like that. side of CandyBones. No crazy stuff. We are lost in our enchanted CandyBones is the sweetest side of Nul- world. lifer. Just perfect! WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO CALL THE WHO DOES ALL THIS AMAZING ART- BAND SPECTRUM-X AND WHAT INWORK ON THE SPIRES YOU MOST ALBUM COVERS AND POSTER ETC.? TO DO WHAT YOU DO? S-X: About our artwork: Nullifer creates S-X: Spectrum-X means THE GHOST the artwork. I create ideas for the albums WITHOUT A NAME. like the story, and con- That's all i Can cept. Nullifer does the say..We get inspired computer work, work- by little fairy tales ing on pictures and il- haunted by ghosts. lustrations, making every booklet a piece IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE YOU'D of art. LIKE TO ADD? HOW DO YOU USUALLY SPEND YOUR S-X: our concerts are pure magic. Scary and TIME WHEN YOU beautiful, elegant and ARE NOT DOING insane.... Just come MUSIC? see our show and S-X: we are not party then tell me if I was people. We don't like wrong... going to parties or get drunk. We have a peaceful, magic life. when we don't play shows, we enjoy walking around in nice small medieval towns,

www.Myspace.com/MLazar

MALEFICE

MUEN Magazine May 2009 Part 1 - PG. 51

guy in charge of making the album art was Colin Marks from Rainsong (Metal Blade Rec.) Art, it shows the imagery behind the title, By (Jet) how nature is the Jeanne Thomas MUEN: IS THIS A CON- strongest force, so don't fuck with it! MUEN: YOUR NEW CD CEPT CD? WHATS THE MEANING BE"DAWN OF REPRISAL" HAS JUST HIND THE CD NAME? MUEN: AS FAR AS WHO DID THE COVER METAL CORE GOES BEEN RELEASED. ART AND WHAT IS IT YOU HAVE BEEN DEHOW HAS IT BEEN SCRIBED AS THE SUPPOSED TO DERECEIVED SO FAR ONES TO WATCH BEPICT? AND HOW ARE THE CAUSE YOU ARE SO EARLY SALES REIts not a concept album DIFFERENT AND PORTS? no, the general theme is ORIGINAL. WHAT DO So far by fans and press how the world we live in YOU THINK MAKES is on a knife edge at the YOU SO DIFFERENT? it seems to have been moment. Dawn Of received really well, Reprisal means the be- I think what makes this we're getting good reband different is simple. views in the magazines ginning of the end . I think its only a matter of We started this band across the world and 100's of comments and time before our actions before metal core was made a "Genre". We've take its toll on us all, messages from fans telling us their thoughts and mother nature gets never written music to her revenge, wipes us try and fit in with whaton the album which is ever scene is doing well all out and awesome! In terms of at the time, we stick to starts over! early sales reports we our guns The haven't been told anything yet. But we do know that a lot of places selling the album sold out! So that can't be a bad sign!

and write music we all enjoy listening to and playing, and that's how its going to stay!

MUEN: WHAT IS YOU IMPRESSION OF THE "METAL SCENE" AS YOU SEE IT TODAY?

Metal now is bigger that it's been since I was born... there are a lot of bands playing really heavy music getting success and playing arenas so it's a good time to be in metal, and it's bands that have done it the hard way that have earnt their place on the big stages, and that's how it should be! There are too many bands who have been signed because their music fits in with what's popular at the time and have been

PG. 52 - MUEN Magazine May 2009 Part 1 pushed straight onto big tours and stages, but have withered away after their first album. MUEN: IS METAL MORE POPULAR NOW THAN YOU CAN EVER REMEMBER?

Metal has always been popular, but in the last decade or so I'd say Metal was more of an underground genre played in clubs and bars whilst the likes of Metallica and Iron Maiden do the Arena shows. But it's shifting with bands like Lamb of God or Machine Head who are now moving up the ranks to the Arena show Elite, and it's now thanks to these bands that heavy metal is coming out of the dark and a bit more into the limelight! MUEN: DO YOU THINK TODAYS BANDS ARE OVER SATURATING THE MARKET WITH DEATH METAL, ETC.?

I think I have partly answered this question already, but yes, I think to an extent the market is being over saturated with bands who see a genre like Death Metal doing well then copy it, and a copy is very rarely as good as the original... maybe if we slap on some corpse paint

and start playing death metal too then we'll be mega rich rock stars in no time.

different cultures and just hanging out! It's always weird when you go to a new country and the kids in the crowd are MUEN: WHAT WAS singing our lyrics back THE EXPERIENCE OF at us! As for us, we PLAYING THE DOWN- were all friends before LOAD FESTIVAL Malefice, so that makes LIKE? it a lot easier when it comes to touring, beIt was the best 25 mins cause it's like a bunch of of being in a metal band mates going on holiday, so far, walking out on but we play metal too! stage at 11am, after already being awake 5 MUEN: HAVE YOU ALL hours in front of 10,000 KNOWN EACH OTHER people screaming, it felt BEFORE FORMING like we were a different MALEFICE? band, we had one of the best/biggest circle pits Yeah Dale, Alex and of the weekend and we Craig all went to school all loved every second together, I was at a difof it! Hopefully we go to ferent school but met go and do it again them all when I was sometime soon! about 15 and we started up a band. Tom joined MUEN: I'VE BEEN the band about 18 LOOKING AT SOME months ago but he fits OF YOUR TOUR in like he was in the TAPES. DO YOU band from the start! ENJOY TOURING AND SEEING DIFFERENT MUEN: DO YOU HAVE PLACES AS WELL AS ANY LOYAL FANS PLAYING FOR ALL THAT FOLLOW YOU THE DIFFERENT ALL OVER THE FANS? DO YOU ALL PLACE? REALLY GET ALONG THAT WELL? We have a few yeah, We've got a bunch of Touring is what its all guys that bought a big about for any metal plastic yellow duck to band now, when we're one of our shows that we all signed and drew at home we're bored, pictures on and it makes we want to be on the an appearance at lots of road going to new our shows! towns, exploring new parts of the world, meeting all new people with MUEN: ANY PLANS

ON TOURING THE U.S. ANY TIME SOON?

Nothing physically planned as of yet.. but I know for sure that's the one place we all want to be going to as soon as we can, and it's the place we feel our music will be received the best as our sound has that American edge to it that I think people are going to enjoy!

MUEN: WHAT IS YOUR FEELING AS YOU ARE PERFORMING ON STAGE?

There's lots of feelings going on before we hit the stage, depending on the show of course.. Generally it's excitement with a kind of anxiousness you get waiting to go on stage, but as soon as you let the first chord ring out it's like you hit cruise control, your body knows what to do so you don't need to think about anything except having a good time and putting on a great show! MUEN: DO YOU ENJOY DOING VIDEOS? ARE THERE ANY IN THE MAKING. WAS THE SINGER THE ONLY ONE GETTING DRENCHED IN THE" RISEN THROUGH THE ASHES" VIDEO BE-

CAUSE THE REST OF YOU LOOKED PRETTY HIGH AND DRY:)

Videos surprisingly are probably the hardest thing to do! You have to be at 200% all the time, it's exhausting and you go home very stiff! Yeah, in the Risen video it's only Dale getting soaked.. we're playing expensive instruments that are actually ours, can't go getting them soaked! The hardest part about that was trying not to laugh at how wet he had to be !

MUEN: WITH ALL THE TOURING BEING PLANED IN THE NEAR FUTURE, WHAT ARE YOU FAVORITE VENUES TO PLAY? WHAT IS YOUR DREAM VENUE?

I think we all dream of getting out to the US and doing Ozzfest or Mayhem.. amazing tours, amazing bands and amazing stages everyday! So far we like playing in London, some cool venues there, not big venues, but intimate and vibey makes for an awesome show! But generally speaking, the bigger the stage the better, much more fun! MUEN: HOW HAVE

MUEN Magazine May 2009 Part 1 - PG. 53

YOUR LIVES here we are! CHANGED SINCE YOU SIGNED WITH METAL- MUEN: WHEN YOU BLADE? BECOME RICH AND FAMOUS WHAT DO So far they haven't YOU WANT TO DO changed to much, we've WITH YOUR LIVES? been getting a lot of press and have spent a That's an awesome lot more time sat at question, I personally computers writing inter- want to pack up all my views like these. But it's stuff, bang it on a plane, a bit like the quiet bebuy a house on the sea fore the storm, so I think front in the US and have we're all making the a recording studio there, most of what little time and write music for we have at home and bands and artists when saving up a few pennies I'm too old to rock! Oh, for when were off 200 days a year touring!

Malefice fans are awesome, we're pretty friendly guys so after shows we always like to get out the front, hang out with people, mingle with the fans, just be normal guys really. The best fan moment so far would be Pete, (yes it made an impression), coming to a show, pulling his shirt up to reveal a fresh Malefice tattoo! That had us all in shock, we couldn't believe it! So to everyone out there that's a fan of what we do... we cant wait to get to your town and play

and I'd have a boat moored at the bottom of my garden, get married, have a few kids, get a I'm sure there are loads dog and have everyone of politics involved, but round for a BBQ and for us in the band, we're beers... and yes you're not really involved in it, invited too. I'm sure all the deal gets sorted by the other guys have our management team similar dreams! and Metal Blade, but I think it all went pretty MUEN: WHAT ARE smooth. Metal Blade is MALFICE FANS LIKE? like a big family that we ANY FAN STORIES THAT YOU CAN REwanted to be part of. VEAL? WHAT WOULD We knew what we wanted and they knew YOU LIKE TO SAY TO THEM? what we wanted and

some Metal UK style, then hang out afterwards for beers!

MUEN: ARE THERE A LOT OF POLITICS THAT GO ALONG WITH SIGNING A RECORD DEAL?

MUEN: DO YOU HAVE ANY RITUALS YOU PERFORM BEFORE HITTING THE STAGE?

No rituals as such.. we're not into anything weird like sacrificing lambs or virgins. We're probably a bit boring really... we take a bit of time to our selves, we stretch, get warmed up and ready. People have

PG. 54 - MUEN Magazine May 2009 Part 1 paid to come and see us so, we get limber and warm up so we are always prepared to give the best performance we can. MUEN: WHAT DO YOU ALL DO TO RELAX? DO ANY OF YOU HAVE OTHER JOBS BESIDES BEING IN THE BAND?

Unfortunately, at the moment, we all have jobs, and there isn't one member who enjoys it at all.. But we can see the day of packing in the days jobs is close, so we keep going for now! On our down time we spend time with our

families and girlfriends, we all hang out in bars, have drinks, maybe do a bit writing.. just general everyday stuff really!

MUEN: WHAT ARE THE GOALS YOU ARE STRIVING TO ACHIEVE AS A BAND? Our goal is to take Malefice as far as we possibly can! We're going to keep giving it 110% and see where we end up! I'd like to say we'd follow in the footsteps of Lamb of God and someday be doing headline arena tours but we will see.

We'll never get to a point where we feel we've achieved enough, there will always be another milestone to achieve, we'll always want more.

MUEN: IS IT TRUE YOU ARE TAKING PICCOLO LESSONS AND LEARNING TO RIVERDANCE IN PREPARATION FOR YOUR DATES IN IRELAND?

I know a band member... has been training pretty hard yes.. there will be a section midway through the set where he does a little solo piccolo riverdance collaberation.. we're all

very excited about it, as long as he has enough free Guinness of course!

MUEN: SO WHAT CAN WE LOOK FORWARD TO FROM THE BAND THIS YEAR?

Lots of us on tour, and then more of us on tour! We're the kind of band you'll see us play once and you'll already be looking forward to the next time! So keep your eyes and ears open for when we're going to be in a town near you!

MUEN Magazine May 2009 Part 1 - PG. 55

DANGEROUS NEW MACHINE

had stopped with their support when we put out our second record. It was easier for all of us to pack it up and go home if the label wasnʼt going to back the record. Once that happened, Joey Z went back to playing shows with Life of Agony and that was doing really well for him. The rest of us just kind of followed suit and moved on with different projects.

different things. About eight months ago I was talking to some different promoters and agents. They thought it would be Erik Rogers (Vocals) great if I could go back Atlanta, Georgia out and do it. There wasnʼt a lot of interest from Myspace.com/dangerany of the original memousnewmachine bers to get back together and work By: Shauna OʼDonnell backwards as they put it. I was like “Well, I guess I MUEN: SOME OF YOU could put a band toMIGHT KNOW ERIK gether.” They could learn FROM HIS PREVIOUS the Stereomud songs BAND CALLED and we could call it that. STEREOMUD. ERIK, I MUEN: BASICALLY, It then became a legal HAVE TO ASK, WHY IS YOU JUST CHANGED battle with some of the STEREOMUD NO THE NAME OF THE former members. So I LONGER TOGETHER? BAND. dropped the name. Forget about it and we will There are a lot of reaThe original band disjust change the name sons. The initial reason solved back in 2004 and and keep moving forwas because the label then we all went on to ward. I had been writing

a lot of new stuff. The problem with the new stuff is that no matter what I called it, everybody thought it sounded like Stereomud. They said it sounded like what should be the third installment of a Stereomud record. We are still playing the same music we were going to play; itʼs just called a different name now.

MUEN: ARE THERE ANY HARD FEELINGS?

I wish everybody the best of luck, no matter what they are doing. Iʼm not mad at anybody. We toured around the coun-

PG. 56 - MUEN Magazine May 2009 Part 1 try for over five years in a bus. You have got to be close, but you can also wear each other out. They all have their plates pretty full in different projects. Corey is producing stuff and he has his own company in Florida that does charter bussing. We have all branched out into all different kinds of things.

MUEN: HOW LONG WAS STEREOMUD TOGETHER? We formed in the end of 1998 until 2004, so five years. MUEN: HOW LONG HAS THE NEW NAME BEEN AROUND?

The new name has been around for five months. MUEN: HOW DID THE FANS REACT?

Overall, most of the responses that we received when we posted it were positive. Some people were asking “Why are they messing with you? Why wonʼt they let you call it Stereomud?” It wasnʼt about me bashing members personally or who had a problem with it or didnʼt have a problem with it. It made it easier, if it was going to hurt someoneʼs feelings. I just didnʼt feel like it was such a big deal. I was more con-

was reading the book that Head did from Korn and he was talking about how their management tried to make them change their name. They were like MUEN: DO YOU FEEL “You canʼt call the band YOU WILL ALWAYS BE Korn.” Look at them now, who cares what REFERRED TO AS ERIK OF DANGEROUS they called it. The music is great and they are NEW MACHINE FORicons. They established MERLY OF STEREOtheir own genre of music MUD? NOT THAT THAT and ran with it. It ran all IS A BAD THING. the way up the flagpole. I think it is great music Itʼs hard to get away so it didnʼt matter what from and itʼs not a tag they called it. They stuck that bothers me in any to their guns and it was way. I had a lot of fun a good thing for them. and we had a very strong fan base. We got to tour with a lot of great MUEN: YOU WERE IN bands and have a good A FEW OTHER BANDS time. I got to meet a lot BEFORE FORMING DANGEROUS NEW of cool people. Itʼs MACHINE. WHO WERE something that I donʼt THEY? regret as a tag by any means. It helped me esI have had a number of tablish myself as a singer and if I carry that projects. One was called Sounddevice that was on itʼs great. I think the more of a main stream new material has been received very well. The rock. I also had a project called Love Said No for handful of shows that a little while that went weʼve played so far, the out and did a little tourresponse has been great. So, we are going ing and now Dangerous to keep doing it and see New Machine. where it goes. MUEN: YOU ARE GETTING READY TO REMUEN: THE NAME LEASE A FOUR SONG WILL CATCH ON. EP CALLED SKELETONS THIS SUMThe music makes the MER.THESE SONGS name. There are some WERE ACTUALLY great band names out there and then there are GOING TO BE ON THE some that are “Really, is NEXT STEREOMUD CD that your band name?” I RIGHT? cerned with getting back out on the road, playing shows, having fun, and putting the new music that we have been working on out.

Right, they were initially what we were going to title the band as Stereomud, so initially it was going to be called Stereomud. Like I said, when it became more of a battle, we just decided to change the name. MUEN: ONCE IT IS RELEASED ARE YOU PLANNING ON HITTING THE ROAD AND DOING SOME TOURING?

Yeah, we are doing some one -offs right now. We are going out, doing some test markets and having some fun. Thereʼs nothing wrong with going out and playing some shows. We are talking to a couple different agents and trying to put some stuff together. I have re-connected with some old friends and bands that are going out in the summer. I am going to see about getting on some larger tours. The plan is to hit the road by end of May or early June and not come home for a while. MUEN: HOW DO YOU GUYS PREPARE FOR GOING OUT ON THE ROAD& HOW MANY REHEARSALS DO YOU HAVE A WEEK?

We rehearse almost everyday. Even when we are not getting ready to do a show, we are constantly writing. I think the

most important thing is songwriting, getting in that room and building and strengthening that chemistry that you have with each other. Try new ideas because you never know what you are going to write. As a songwriter you are always trying to write something better than the last thing you wrote. We are going to put out four songs, but we probably have closer to forty. We are actually going back into the studio starting April 1st with our producer to do another track that we have written. We are constantly writing and recording. If we are not rehearsing to go on stage then we are writing or rehearsing to record that next track.

MUEN: WHO ARE YOU USING AS A PRODUCER?

We used Rusty Cobb; he has done Bowling for Soup, Family Force 5 and Zakk Wylde. He is based out of Atlanta and has a studio called Bang. He has been great. Itʼs a tough thing to find that guy that you trust enough with your material to make personal suggestions, when you are changing lyrical ideas or chord progressions in a song, to make it the best version of the song possible. We have found a great chemistry

with him and plan to finish the entire record with him. He is going back through the stuff we have catalogued and putting it together. At the same time we are shooting a DVD and we have shot two videos already with another one scheduled. I feel like everyday when I wake up, itʼs overwhelming with everything we have going on, but if I didnʼt have it going on Iʼd be pulling my hair out. Iʼm much better suited to be busy. MUEN: I AGREE WITH YOU, I TEND TO TAKE ON TOO MUCH, I THINK.

MUEN Magazine May 2009 Part 1 - PG. 57

bouncing from project to project and getting to put his flair on it. When we did “Burn” and “Skeletons” with him, that was the first time that I had ever been in a studio and tracked a song with him. We talked about it for years, but never made it happen. I was at a bar one night and he came strolling in. We were trying to find somewhere to record and we were bouncing back and forth ideas of where we were going to go. He walks up to me and I said “We are talking about going into the studio.” And he said “Iʼm free, letʼs do it.” The stars had aligned for us.

downloads was just coming to the surface. People were still buying records and CDʼs. I donʼt know anybody that doesnʼt have an IPod or some kind of MP3 player. With the change of the business, the labels have changed. They are not doing the big million dollar record deals that they were blessed to have in 1999. Itʼs funny; you start to look at “What are you willing to do as a musician to get your music out?” I toured around the country in a big forty-five foot bus and it was great. Now, I own a van and we make the routing of the tours a lot smarter. We used to do four to five hundred miles between gigs and now we do two to three hundred miles. Something that is realistic that you can get up and drive in the morning. Itʼs more work, but the reward is still there. The reward being walking out on stage, playing the songs, getting a connection with people and getting a chance to meet and talk with them after a show. The fans are still there and coming out to see it. That hasnʼt gone away and I donʼt think the internet could ever replace that personal interaction between the fan and the band.

Yeah, I think I do too, but MUEN: WHEN YOU it makes me happy. WERE WITH STEREOMUD, YOU WERE MUEN: IT MAKES ME SIGNED TO COLUMHAPPY, TOO. HAVE BIA. HAVE YOU YOU WORKED WITH SIGNED TO A LABEL HIM BEFORE? WITH THE NEW BAND? Iʼve known him for the better part of ten or fifNo, not yet, we are teen years here in Atshopping. We are showlanta. He played guitar casing this Saturday as in various bands back in a matter of fact. We just the day. He is one of did a show in Chatthose guys who wound tanooga, Tennessee this up being the band mem- past weekend and I was ber who knew how to on stage bantering beengineer stuff. Then he tween songs talking moved more into the about how much the business has changed in producing side of stuff. just a short period of He found his niche. He is still involved in music time. In 1999 when we got signed, although the and he gets to be ininternet has long been volved in an even around, the battle for the MUEN: DO YOU PLAY greater aspect by

PG. 58 - MUEN Magazine May 2009 Part 1 ANY INSTRUMENTS?

able to eat off the dollar menu and have a good I play at instruments, Iʼm time. Itʼs up in the air as not anywhere even to whether we are going close to the guys that I to release it on our own play with are. I wish I or put it out on a label. could more so than I do. My teenage son is a bet- MUEN: THERE ARE A ter guitar player than I LOT MORE PLACES am. He comes over and COMING OUT WITH shows me stuff that he is DOLLAR MENUS IʼVE writing that just blows NOTICED. my mind. At no point would I ever wish this on I know, I love it. When anyone because of the you are on a shoestring hell that it can be, but itʼs budget, you do what you like a disease. Once have to do. youʼve caught it there is nothing you can do MUEN: I LOVE THE about it. I donʼt know SONG “SKELETONS.” what I would be doing if I IN MARCH AND APRIL wasnʼt playing music. I OF THIS YEAR, IF couldnʼt see myself PEOPLE PURCHASE A doing something else. DIGITAL COPY OF THE SONG, THEY HAVE A MUEN: WE KNOW THE CHANCE TO WIN A EP IS COMING OUT, DANGEROUS NEW BUT WHAT ABOUT A MACHINE GUITAR FULL LENGTH HERO GAME CONALBUM? TROLLER FOR GUITAR HERO III Depending on what LEGENDS OF ROCK. goes on as far as the THEY ALSO RECEIVE showcases and what A DANGEROUS NEW happens over the next MACHINE T-SHIRT. couple months will deWHERE CAN PEOPLE termine whether or not it GO TO ENTER THE will be an EP or full CONTEST? length album. We are prepared to do a full At our MySpace page at length album, we just Myspace.com/dangerwant to do it right. We ousnewmachine. You want to get back on the click on it and you get a road and build the band download of the track. up from a grass roots You are basically paying level. Luckily, we have a dollar to enter the conthe luxury that I own a test. You are entered in van and a trailer. We can to win the guitar and you hit the road and gener- can enter as many times ate enough income to be as you want. The emails

are all getting registered and the winners will be announced on May 5th. My son has tried to get me to enter him a bunch of times. That falls back on the change of the business and the way things are approached. When we put “Burn” out, we gave it away and it will always be free. We werenʼt going to try to get ninety-nine cents a song. We are going to put it on the site and we are going to make it available for free and let it be there. When we finished the second track we were like “What can we do to again give something to the fans?” Thatʼs when we came up with the Guitar Hero controller. We are trying to, as we put the songs up, do something in conjunction with them that is more than just a song. We want to give them something tangible to hold onto. My manager and I are trying to think of everything we can to make it interesting and stay ahead of the curve.

MUEN: YOU WILL HAVE TONS OF PEOPLE LOOKING TO ENTER THAT CONTEST.

We have had a lot of entries and what has been crazy for me is the number of entries we have had from overseas too. The internet now makes

you global without having to get on a plane. We have one fan that has probably entered forty to fifty times trying to win this thing in the UK. I will be shocked if she doesnʼt win it.

MUEN: THE MUSIC VIDEO FOR “SKELETONS” ROCKS! YOU CAN FEEL THE ENERGY PULSE FROM IT. WAS IT AS FUN TO MAKE AS IT WAS TO WATCH?

The end result is always not nearly as much as the work going into it. You can shoot for a three minute video and it takes you eight to ten hours and sometimes longer. It was a lot of fun to make. Scott Haney, our videographer has been with us for a long time now and shot all kinds of stuff. There is still a lot of stuff to come like behind the scenes footage from the making of both of the videos and tracks in the studio. There is also a bunch of interview footage coming out. Itʼs a lot of fun to do and you get to look back at yourself and see how stupid you look sometimes. (Laughing) MUEN: YOU SAID THAT THERE WERE TWO VIDEOS. IS THE OTHER ONE FOR “BURN?”

Yes, the other one is for “Burn.” We shot both in the studio on different days as we would finish the tracks. The plan is not only to put out the material, but also to put out videos, behind the scenes footage and attach a DVD to it. We are working on that. It is nice to have as many outlets as possible. We try to keep updating our MySpace page with something new and additional content. I think we just put up a slideshow in the last 24 hrs. We had a bunch of photographers out at different shows and we are putting up the pictures in a slideshow. We are adding a lot of friends every day and the comments all seem to be positive. Its fun to watch it grow.

take a piece of one of his paintings and put it on my back. A guy named Errol Eckenbrocker from Germany, who is a tattoo artist that was here in Atlanta, was working at a tattoo shop for a while. His idea was to take that painting and put it to the side and free hand draw the entire thing on my back. The outline took nine hours and I had to move forward and backward while he traced my ribs and spine. It took probably between thirty to forty hours total. I started off with the one tattoo on my shoulder and I was like “The only thing I would ever do is something that I could cover up with a short sleeve shirt.” Then it was, maybe I will do my back because I can still cover it up. Now, I have MUEN: SPEAKING OF my back, full sleeves on PICTURES, THERE IS both arms and my stomA PICTURE IN YOUR ach done. I have a porBLOG OF A GUY WITH trait of my son on one A FULL BACK TATleg and all kinds of TOO. IS THAT YOU? them. Iʼm hooked on the ink. I donʼt know there is Yes. something about it. I just got my stomach done, MUEN: WHAT IS THE itʼs a version of the skull TATTOO OF EXand wings that we have ACTLY? on our logo, but it is split in half and runs up both Itʼs from a HR Giger sides of my ribs. The painting. He is the guy ribs hurt. Once he had that did the Aliens crea- one side done, I was so tures. He is a German excited that he flipped artist that did a lot of bio me over to do the other –mechanical, crazy art- side. work. I had this idea to

MUEN Magazine May 2009 Part 1 - PG. 59

MUEN: I NOTICED YOU HAVE A LOT OF THEM. DO SOME HAVE MORE MEANING OR IMPORTANCE? WHICH IS YOUR FAVORITE?

I love my back piece and both of my forearms. We had a guy named Mike Parsons out on tour with us, when I was with Stereomud, itʼs a fire and water kind of a ying yang. When you butt my forearms up side by side they are absolutely equal from wrist to elbow. Iʼm kind of symmetrical in what I have tattooed on me. I like all of them, itʼs more so do I have any that I donʼt like. That would be my first one. I got what I pained for. I went to Painless Paul when I was seventeen, I do not recommend getting tattooed when you are not old enough. I forged a speeding ticket and carved in my birth year to make it so I turned eighteen instead of seventeen. I went and got a dragon my arm that ended up looking more like a mosquito. We are in the process of covering it up.

the winter months. I have a place in the mountains on the lake, which is heaven on Earth to me. Itʼs very small and peaceful and in a small town called Shooting Creek, North Carolina. I go up there a lot. If we are off in the summer and Iʼm home, that is where I call home. It is so relaxing to me. I have a dock down on the water with a deck over it and I lay down by the water and invite all my friends up. I do three parties during the summer and I have wave runners and stuff like that. I let all my friends hang out and cook out. I love to grill so I cook for everybody. Iʼll invite a friend and they donʼt want to leave. The cabin was built by my uncle for my father in 1970. It still has the yellow shag carpet in the main room of the house and I have left it like that intentionally. MUEN: IS IT STILL IN GOOD CONDITION?

Itʼs in great condition and I still have the shag carpet rake that my mom had with the vacuum when we were little kids growing up. It still works. It stayed shaggy.

MUEN: BESIDES MUSIC, WHAT ARE SOME OF THE THINGS YOU LIKE TO PARTICI- MUEN: WILL THERE BE A STEREOMUD PATE IN? DVD RELEASED? I play golf; I havenʼt been playing as much in I have all the footage of

PG. 60 - MUEN Magazine May 2009 Part 1 videos that were never released. If I can get it worked out with the original members I would love to put it out. Itʼs a bunch of live footage over the years that never got put out. There are five chiefs that all have to put their two cents in. If I can make it happen, it would be great. Instead of selling it, put it all on the internet and give it away. Unfortunately, when you put a label on something you have to make sure you are not going to get sued. MUEN: HOPEFULLY THEY CAN COME TO

AN AGREEMENT WITH what they are giving you YOU, AT LEAST FOR as an artist when they THE FANS. share that story. Like I said, itʼs a disease and I For me, thatʼs what itʼs caught it. about anyway, the fans and giving something to MUEN: IʼD LIKE TO them. Itʼs almost impos- THANK YOU FOR THE sible to measure what I INTERVIEW. I HAD A have been given by the GREAT TIME TALKING people that have supWITH YOU. ported me over the years as an artist. We Thank you, you too, I are all taken aback by appreciate it. the love and support. Thatʼs what keeps us MUEN: BEFORE WE going. There is always HANG UP, WAS THERE someone out there with ANYTHING YOU a story about a song that WOULD LIKE TO ADD? you have written that has impacted their life. When are we going to To give somebody that play near you and when doesnʼt even equate to am I going to meet you

at a show?

MUEN: THAT SOUNDS GOOD; IʼM NEAR HOLLYWOOD SO WHEN WILL YOU BE HERE?

Iʼll be in Hollywood the first weekend in May, but we are not playing there. Iʼm coming out for some business stuff, but itʼs always a good time when you are in Hollywood. MUEN: EMAIL ME AND LET ME KNOW WHEN YOUʼLL BE HERE. Iʼll do that for sure.

MUEN Magazine May 2009 Part 1 - PG. 61

RIAL, AND DOES ANYONE ELSE COLYOUR SOUND IS LABORATE WITH VERY UNIQUE IN THE YOU ON THE LYRICS FACT THAT IT IS AND/OR THE WRITMELODIC, HEAVY ING OF THE ACTUAL AND PASSIONATE. MUSIC? AND IS ALSO SOLID ROCK, BUT WITH A SKUM: Well, in the beCHARISMATIC INginning it was all me. DUSTRIAL FLAVOR But with a lot of the OOZING OF SINLY new stuff we have CONFESSIONS. wrote for the new WHAT IN- album, it has been all of us together dissecting and throwing in our own flavors. With this lineup there is a lot of different styles and influences. I really enjoyed the collaboration and the arguments over songs this time around because I feel there are people that truly care about this band and what it all means. spire even more!

By G. Cataline

SO TELL US ABOUT THE UPCOMING TOUR? AND HOW DID THE BOOKING WITH "THRILL KILL KULT" COME ABOUT?

TO DAY, PAYING EXTRA CLOSE ATTENTION TO THE LYRICS?

SKUM: Well actually I have known the guys for a while and I am a true fan. We have played with them before. but honestly This all came about when Static-X Manager messages me and asked if we wanted to come out to play some shows in the Midwest. So we started to book other shows around those and we already had an L.A. show set up with Thrill Kill Kult.

I THINK "LOADED" SHOULD BE ANOTHER "MUEN ANTHEM." ARE YOU AWARE THAT MUEN STEALS THE SONGS OF BANDS AND USES THEM TO COMMUNICATE IT'S OWN MOOD AND AGENDA FROM DAY

SKUM: Really? wow! That is flattering and kool! Hope the new songs will in-

WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR MOST RECENT ACCOMPLISHMENTS IN YOUR OPINION? AND WHAT WERE SOME OF YOUR BEST SHOWS RECENTLY.. WAS IT WITH HANZEL UND GRETYL?

SPIRES YOU TO WRITE THIS MATE-

SKUM: Ummmm playing with H.U.G. was cool, but getting a record deal and record-

PG. 62 - MUEN Magazine May 2009 Part 1

ing and playing a few clubs we thought we would never play; and rocking them all were our biggest accomplishments. Even though the band itself has been around for a long time, it feels new and refreshing this time out.

WHAT WERE SOME OF THE DARKEST PERIODS IN YOUR MUSICAL JOURNEY THUS FAR?

SKUM: Loosing my first guitarist Matthew when he left and moved away to Iowa. We had a strong friendship and band partnership that was perfection and soon after the other members followed suit and it made me sad and feel like calling it quits and leaving music for good. But something inside said "fuck you get up and get back out there you have a job to finish." WHAT IS THE NAME OF THE LATEST ALBUM, AND WHY DID YOU CHOOSE THAT TITLE?

was " The Church of The New Perversion" , which is the name of a new song and the name of our street team so we'll see what happens.

world, but it will be online for sure, and in every avenue you can think of. And ofcourse straight from us on cdbaby.com. The biggest strengths are that we wrote this as a team WHO PRODUCED IT.. and we went into it to MIXING ETC..? make a great rock album. You can call it SKUM: We went back Metal, Industrial, Punk, to Roman Marisak Goth or whatever, but again as he just under- we just wanted to write stands the music and a fuckin hard and my vision, and has heavy rock album. been like another member since the beginBESIDES THE UPning. He has a great COMING TOUR BEdigital studio called GINNING MAY 10TH PMM Studios and has IN BILLINGS, MONa great ear. He is mix- TANA... WHAT ARE ing recording and pro- YOUR OTHER PLANS ducing. I divided this FOR SKUMLOVE? time as well to force a few friends to come SKUM: Hopefully more down and help out. touring and world domiTommy Victor came nation. down and kicked all our asses with co- writng a song on this new album. It was so crazy I kidnapped Tony Campos as well to come down and lay down some tracks just to make it that much more heavier. WHERE CAN YOU GET IT, AND WHAT DO YOU FEEL ARE IT'S GREATEST STRENGTHS?

SKUM: Well we went back and forth with a few titles, but settled on " The Church of Sin", SKUM: I hope you'll be though somehow our able to get it in every publicist put out that it record store in the

IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE YOU WANT TO ADD?

SKUM: Support your your local bands. Buy music from real bands. Come see us on tour. We are not making any money and most bands out there (whether they are signed or not) aren't either. But we do it for the music and for the love of our fans! We'll see you out on the road and hope all your sins come true!

METAL KNIGHTS

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By G Cataline

WHAT CAN WE EXPECT FROM THE UPCOMING ALBUM, AND HOW DOES IT DIFFER FROM PAST RECORDINGS?

I think a whole lot! What we have tried to do is take that METAL KNIGHTS sound that people seemed to dig from the EP "THE CROSSING" and take it to the next level and really push it for all it is worth. Make it harder edged, add more keyboards to the dual lead guitars and make the 3 works together more. And to really push each instrument as far as we could, drums, bass and vocals. Really harness the sound and make it stick out in your face.

WHY DID YOU NAME IT "WORLD OF FOREVER?"

Well that is one of the songs on the new CD, and it came about in quite a unique way. It was originally called something else, but we felt it was just to 80's sounding in its original form. So we decided to do a complete re write on the lyrics and rename it as well.

WORLD OF FOREVER is about what could be a mythical place, a dream world, where you never die and there are all these fantasy characters, or it could have a dual meaning, about making this world we live in now, keep going on and stop killing it. We basically wanted it to have a dual meaning, and let the listener decide in the end, and we thought it was a great name for the new CD.

new favorite!" when you hear it all mixed and produced. But favorite and STRONGEST are two different things! I would say to me, the strongest songs would be THE ENFORCER and WORLD OF FOREVER. But that is just me! I'm sure the rest of the guys would pick different ones

TRAGEDY.

WHAT INSPIRED YOU EARLY ON, TO GO FROM A "TRIBUTE BAND" TO A ORIGINAL BAND?

In a nutshell, Craig Goldy. It was actually the plan all along, but we ended up doing some Trib stuff in the beginning to help out an old good friend of mine ARE YOU PLANNING ON DOING MANY LIVE Tawn Mastrey who was SHOWS IN SUPPORT a legendary Heavy Metal DJ. She was OF THE ALBUM? WHAT WOULD YOU dying and in need of a SAY IS YOUR transplant, and had no Yes as a matter of fact STRONGEST SONG we are! We are in talks insurance, so we put together a show as fast as ON THE ALBUM, AND right now directly with we could to raise WHY? BENEDICTUM to do some dates here in the money. KNAC.COM was behind it as was a That is a tough quesstates together having lot of major people in tion! We have been liv- us open for them. We have been friends for a the industry, so we did a ing with these new songs for a year, day in couple years and really TRIBUTE FOR TAWN love their music and the and that is why people day out, and when you are locked up recording way they really took it to think we were a tribute band. But Craig Goldy for 9 months you start to the whole metal scene came to that show and say "Hey, that one is my with SEASONS OF

was blown away when we got off stage, in fact he came onstage with Simon Wright from DIO and formerly AC/DC and Tony Montana from Great White, Terry Ilious from XYZ, and they rocked out with us. But the next day Craig contacted me and told me that we had what it took to go all the way, so that is what really threw the focus full ahead into that direction.

WITH SO MANY TRADITIONAL METAL BANDS OUT THERE STILL, WHAT WOULD YOU SAY SEPARATES YOUR BAND FROM THE REST?

I would have to say the fact that we really concentrate on making each song unique. Also making the band as unique as can be. There are a lot of bands that follow the formula of 2 guitars, bass, drums and vocals. And that is great! But we thought all along that if we brought really powerful classical keyboards into it, then that would put it over the top. We think it shows too on the new WORLD OF FOREVER. There are times when YOU as a listener are going to think that "Oh, here comes the traditional guitar solo!" and it turns out to be this awesome keyboard solo!

We like to mix things up, yet still keep that Metal sound that started everything over in England and the rest of Europe back in the late 70's and early 80's. Those are really the bands that inspired us, and I think our music in a way reflects that, but we also want to always push it and try to take it a step further. We're actually rather quite hard on ourselves! We have to be in order to offer something different.

WHO PRODUCED THIS LATEST RECORDING, AND HOW WAS YOUR EXPERIENCE... HAVE YOU WORKED WITH HIM/HER BEFORE?

should sound like, but if there was ever a moment where we were like "What a minute, I don't know if that is the right way to go here?" he would always listen to us and work things out, and it was actually through some of those type scenarios that some really great stuff came together!

Craig Goldy of DIO. Yes we worked with him on the EP, and after he heard out demos for WORLD OF FOREVER was really into making it WHAT ARE YOUR happen, and thought that we had some really GOALS AND EXPECTATIONS FOR THE great stuff and wanted to help us take it to that REST OF THIS YEAR? next level that we were WHAT DO YOU VALUE looking for. We did have Well, to hopefully get THE MOST, A LIVE signed with one of the some rather very big PERFORMANCE OR labels that has shown name producers come THE ACTUAL to us when word got out interest in us, and of RECORDING OF THE about us doing this new course get this tour toSONGS? CD, but Goldy's total en- gether with BENEDICthusiasm was what sold TUM, and before you Well, they both have know it, it will be time to us on working with him there good points to start writing again for again. Plus, he always them, but there is noth- takes into account what the next CD! One thing ing like playing live! I about Metal, it never WE want! Sure he has mean being in a record- his vision like any prodies! ing studio is one thing, ducer of what the band and you get to be really creative and all, but after a while you get that itch, I mean once you've done your part, it takes time for the producer to work his magic, and the band wants to go play! Playing live is where it really is at! Taking what you have done in the studio and turning that into a killer live performance, doing that the “Hollywood Rock right way is a task in Band Of The Year” and of itself! Done right though, it really beats www.TheMaension.com all!

MUEN Magazine May 2009 Part 1 - PG. 65

By Morbid Miller

an end with the death of founding member and lead vocalist Lynn Strait. On a Near the dawn of the 21st Friday in early December of century the universe gave 1998 Lynn and his dog birth to the band Snot. Snot Dobbs Snot’s mascot were was formed by Mikey Doling struck and killed by a truck (guitarist) and Lynn Strait heading from Santa Barbara (Vocals). Hailing out of to Los Angeles. This is Santa Barbara, Califonia the Snot’s story about their forband went on to have a mation, demise, and reforgreat deal of success that mation 10 years later in most bands could only 2008 told by Mikey Doling dream of. Snot toured the in an interview with Morbid country with the legendary Miller. rock God Ozzy Osbourne on the world famous OzSnot’s Epic Journey zfest tour in 1998 sharing the stage with Tool, Limp MORBID: HOW DID Bizkit, Incubus, and System SNOT START OUT AS of a Down. Snot’s future A BAND? SNOT was looking bright in 1998 FORMED IN 1995 when it tragically came to RIGHT? Myspace.com/MorbidMiller

Mikey: Snot actually started in 1994. I was jamming with a couple of guys and I would walk around Santa Barbara telling people that we were “Snot”. We didnʻt even have a singer at the time. I went to a show at a pizza place to see a band called “Glue.” Their singer was Lynn Strait and when I walked into the pizza place I saw Lynn do a back flip off the stage onto a familyʼs table while they were eating pizza. Right then and there I knew that he was the guy I needed for Snot. So after the show I went up to Lynn and

told him that I had this band called Snot and that he needed to come and jam sometime. Later that week Lynn showed up at our band practice with a bass in his hand1 and said letʼs jam. I told him that I wanted him to sing, not play the bass, he said no fucking way and we kind of had a little quarrel. Lynn finally stopped arguing and he sang, actually yelled into the microphone. He was terrible; he was really fucking up, so after the practice, when Lynn left, I apologized to the rest of the band members. [I said] sorry, I guess heʼs

PG. 66 - MUEN Magazine May 2009 Part 1 not the guy for Snot. They said did you see the look in his eyes? Heʼs a fucking star! They begged me to call him back, so I did, and Lynn joined Snot. A couple months down the road Lynn told me that we needed to go for a ride. I went with him and he said “dude, we got to get rid of the other guys, you and me are the band.” I agreed, but I really didnʼt want to start over; I didnʼt want to find new members. To make a long story short we got rid of them. Then it was just Lynn and I. We were snot. We had a partnership.

I knew Shannon Larkin. He was in a band called Ugly Kid Joe2 at the time and I was telling him that Snot needed a bass player and a drummer. Shannon used to be in a band called the Mutha Fucken Pitbullʼs from the east coast and he had an old VHS tape of his band the Mutha Fucken Pitbullʼs. He played it for me and thatʼs where we found Tumor and Sonny Mayo. First we called Tumor and he came out and joined the band without even hearing Snot. He just wanted to get the fuck out of Pennsylvania. He came to Santa Barbara and we started jamming,

then we realized that we needed a second guitarist. So we went back to the VHS tape of the Mutha Fucken Pitbullʼs and thatʼs were we found Sonny Mayo (Sevendust/Amen/Vanill a Ice/Hed Pe). Lynn called Sonny, and Sonny asked what do you want, and Lynn said I want metal and Sonny said you called the right place. Sonny moved to Santa Barbara and Snot was finally complete.

Wednesday night and 800 kids would come out to see Snot play every time. It was sick.

MORBID: THATʼS AMAZING FOR A LOCAL BAND TO DRAW THAT KIND OF A CROWD!

Mickey: Yea it was amazing; we were getting laid all the time. Santa Barbara is a college town. So we were fucking college chicks every night. We were all MORBID: WHAT WAS living together at the time and all we did was SNOT LIKE AS A play shows and pracLOCAL BAND? tice. It was great. We Mickey: After we had all would play out of the of us together Jaime on back of our van. Anywhere we could play, the Drums, Tumor on the Bass, Sonny on the Snot would play. We Guitar, Lynn on Vocals, had a great following and me (Mikey Doling) early on. on lead Guitar, Snot MORBID: WHAT MORE was finally complete. We all just jelled, we fit COULD YOU WANT together perfectly, Lynn OUT OF A BAND? and I were a partnership LOOKS LIKE YOU and the rest of the guys GUYS MADE IT BEwere used to playing in FORE YOU MADE IT! WHAT DID YOU GUYS the Mutha Fucken PitDO NEXT?? bulls together. It was smooth sailing after that. We started playing Mickey: Soon we delocal shows with NOFX cided to check out the L.A. scene. We went to and other local Santa Los Angeles trying to Barbara bands. We score some shows, we wrote the songs “The ended up trading shows Box” and “I Jus Lie3” with a couple of bandʼs and the kids loved it. called Human Waste They couldnʼt get Project and Manhole. enough of us, we Then we started to get started playing at this familiar with the L.A. one spot every other

scene and we were soon playing shows with System of a Down, Coal Chamber, Soulfly, and Incubus. They were all local unsigned bands at the time. Soon we moved up from opening the show to headlining the show. We eventually scored a regular place to play every week at the World Famous Roxy in Hollywood. Lou Adler, the owner took a liking to us, and his son Nic Adler ended up being our manager and still is to this day. Snot started taking over the L. A. scene. We would play in front of sold out shows with over 1,000 fans at the Roxy. We would just pack that place, it was great. We had Geffen, Atlantic, and Capital Records taking us out to eat and inviting us to their offices. They were foaming at the mouth wanting us to sign with them; we started a bidding war between the record companies. This was the 90ʼs before people were stealing music; labels were looking to sign bands. We were being offered half million dollar contracts on a regular basis.

MORBID: YOU GUYS ENDED UP SIGNING WITH GEFFEN RIGHT?

Mickey: Yea we ended up going with Geffen Records; they were the most down to earth and were a pretty hot label at the time to be on. They had signed such bands such as “Nirvana” and “Guns` n` Roses”. We felt that Geffen was the best for Snot, they treated us right, the secretary even knew our songs, so we felt right at home.

The C.E.O. asks Lynn to get off his desk and Lynn says no, I really want this painting . . . I fucking love this beach. The C.E.O. was from Santa Barbara as well and loved the same beach, thatʼs why he had a huge painting of it hanging on his office wall. Long story short Lynn didnʻt get the painting and the C.E.O of Geffen Records knew that he needed to send MORBID: SO SNOT IS us out in the middle of A SIGNED BAND nowhere to record our WHAT HAPPENED record. NEXT? MORBID: SO AFTER Mickey: We actually was YOU RECORDED sent to Brookfield, Mas- YOUR DEBUT ALBUM sachusetts to record our “GET SOME” DID YOU album “Get Some” at a GUYS GO RIGHT ON kickass recording studio THE OZZFEST TOUR? called Longview Farms. It was out in the middle Mickey: No. we finished of fucking nowhere. I up recording in May of think Geffen felt they 1997 and we toured had to send us there, with Machine Head and away from civilization the fans loved us on with very few distracthat tour and we also tions, so we would work started touring with a and not play as much. band called Fishbone, I This is a funny story! So have no fucking idea Lynn, he was just an ob- why we toured with that noxious guy, and one band. Then we hopped day he jumps on the C. on tour with Soulfly. E. O. of Geffen records Then one day out of the desk and starts to take blue we got a call from this painting thatʼs on our manager telling us the C. E.O.ʼs wall down. that we were going on It was a painting of this tour with Ozzy on the beach4 that Lynn use to Ozzfest tour. The funny always go to in Santa thing about Ozzfest was Barbara. Lynn wants that we were playing on this picture right? And the second stage with heʼs going to take it. bands we had played

MUEN Magazine May 2009 Part 1 - PG. 67

with locally, such as Soulfly, System of a down, Coal Chamber, Ultra Spank, and Incubus.

MORBID: AMAZING THAT ALL YOU GUYS ENDED UP MAKING IT BIG AT THE SAME TIME, I REMEMBER OZZFEST ʼ98 THAT WAS MY FIRST CONCERT, UNFORTUNATELY MISSED SNOT PLAY, BUT I HEARD YOU GUYS STOLE THE SHOW ON THE SECOND STAGE. SO WHAT HAPPENED NEXT?

Mickey: We recorded a music video for our song called “Stoopid” which I absolutely fucking hate! It totally misrepresented what Snotʼs about, but what the fuck do you do? If I could do it over again, I wouldnʼt have done the video, but it was on MTV for like 2 weeks straight and thatʼs when I knew that Snot had made it. Then Lynn passed5 and it was all over.

MORBID: HOLY SHIT!! RIGHT WHEN YOU GUYS WERE STARTING TO TAKE OFF IT WAS ALL OVER?

Mickey: Yea just like that it was over.

MORBID: SO WHAT

HAPPENED? I MEAN YOU ALREADY HAD THE NEXT ALBUM RECORDED; YOU JUST NEEDED VOCALʼS RIGHT?

Mickey: No. thatʼs what everyone thinks the “Strait Up” album is. Most people think that the album was finished and it was ready to be released, but that was not the case. When you go to make an album you record like 30 or more songs and most of them get trashed because you get better as you go along. All we had for Snotʼs second album was the first batch of riffs, which were not even complete songs, they were just riffs that I wrote while Lynn was around and he was digging them. I honestly doubt if any of the songs would have made it on the record if we would have put one out. Most of the music for the songs kind of suck on the “Strait Up” album, but the concept was great. We wanted something in remembrance of Lynn, so we did the “Strait Up” Album as a tribute to Lynn Strait and donated all the proceeds to Lynnʼs mom, who helped support Snot in so many ways, its unspeakable how much she did for us. So we

PG. 68 - MUEN Magazine May 2009 Part 1 kind of just paid her back. She is a great lady.

MORBID: HOW DID YOU GET ALL THE SINGERS FOR THE ALBUM? DID THEY JUST CALL YOU WANTING TO DO THE ALBUM OR DID SOMEONE SET IT UP? I MEAN YOU HAVE THE SINGERS FROM ALL THE TOP BANDS AT THE TIME, COAL CHAMBER, KORN, INCUBUS, SEVENDUST, SLIPKNOT, (HED) PE, SOULFLY, SUGAR RAY, AND SYSTEM OF A DOWN.

Mickey: No. I actually just called and personally asked them if they could stop by the recording studio for a couple of hours when they were in town on tour. I would send a limo or a cab to pick them up and they would come to the studio and jam with me and we would do a song. The “Strait Up” album was a rushed album; we didnʼt spend too much time on the songs.

MORBID: SO YOU PUT A RECORD OUT AS A TRIBUTE TO LYNN STRAIGHT, WHATʼS NEXT? YOUR BANDS OVER, WHAT DO YOU DO?

FRONT OF THOUSANDS OF FANS SUPPORTING THE TOP TWO BANDS IN THE WORLD AT THE TIME MARILYN MANSON Mickey: I just crammed AND KORN, WHAT bro. I had their CD7 and WAS MANSON LIKE? thatʼs what I lived and Mickey: He was cool, he breathed for 7 days. I had a party in his hotel was literally on the room every night, I replane on my way to member one time walkAustralia learning the songs. When I landed, I ing into his hotel room went to the hotel and all and Courtney love was sitting next too him and the memberʼs of Korn were just chilling in the their was a sugar jar full of cocaine for anybody hotel lobby. It fucking who wanted some. hit me right then, I hadnʼt even jammed MORBID: SO YOU with Soulfly and I have to play a show in front of ENDED UP RECORDING TWO ALBUMS 40,000 people tonight WITH SOULFLY? with Marilyn Manson, Korn, and Hole. No one (PRIMITIVE AND 3)? even asked me if I had Mickey: Yea I was in the songs down, they were just high fiving me Soulfly for six years. I and shit. I changed my actually just saw Max clothes and we headed the other day; it was right to the show. When nice to see him. It had we were walking up the been awhile since we had seen each other. ramp to go onstage, We both gave each Max turned around, other hugs and we both looked at me and said “do you got this shit”? I started to tear up. said yea!! And we MORBID: SO WHAT MORBID: SO WHY rocked the soccer staDID YOU DO? dium full of 40,000 fans START SNOT AGAIN? and the next night we Mickey: I joined Mickey: I had a band Soulfly6. I had no idea played in front of how to play any of their 100,000 people at huge called Invitro and Sonny was in Sevendust. We outdoor festival. songs. I had never were playing a show tojammed with them. I gether in Anaheim, Caliknew most their songs MORBID: THATʼS fornia and Jamie and from touring with them, AMAZING; YOU MUST Tumor showed up at the HAVE BEEN A NERVbut that was it. OUS WRECK? PLAY- show. We were all back MORBID: WHAT WERE ING WITH SOULFLY IN stage and it was the first Mickey: Well I was really kind of in a daze at the time. Everything was just really foggy for me and I was hanging out with Tumor in the recording studio at Shannon Larkinʼs house and I received a call from Max from Soulfly. I just figured Max was calling to say that he was sorry and send his regards for Lynn, and what not. Max wanted to know if I could go on tour with Soulfly. At first I was like can I think about it and call you back in a couple days? Max said “dude, the tour starts in Australia in 7 days.” I said well can I have ten minutes? So I got off the phone and Tumor was like, “do it, do it, you got to do this, itʼs fucking Soulfly.” I just wasnʼt feeling it, my best friend just died; I hadnʼt picked up a guitar for 2 week. I was just really confused at the time; I didnʼt know what to do.

YOU THINKING? HOW IN THE HELL ARE YOU GOING TO LEARN ALL THEIR SONGS IN 7 DAYS?

time that all of the members of Snot had been in the same room (besides Lynn) for almost 10 years, this was in 2007. The singer of Invitro knew only one Snot song. So after my band Invitro played I said to the crowd “who wants to hear a SNOT song?” And the crowd went nuts, so I introduced Sonny and he came out and grabbed a guitar, Tumor and Jamie followed. We played the Snot song “Stoopid” with the Invitro singer, the crowd ate it up. About 6 months later we were all thinking about getting back together and we started jamming again and we sounded great. We didnʼt know what to do, where do we start, do we just start playing shows? I thought maybe we could get a singer from one of the bands we used to play with back in the day, that are famous now. Before we did that, we held auditions for a new Snot singer.

MUEN Magazine May 2009 Part 1 - PG. 69

We were not going to start Snot again unless we found someone extra special. Then something amazing happened, Tommy Vex from Divine Heresy tried out and blew us all away. Tommy knew all of the Snot songs by heart and we asked him to join Snot. We have been touring ever since. We toured with Devil Driver and we just got off tour with Mudvayne.

Morbid Miller w/ Tommy Vext (Snot)

MORBID: SO WHATʼS NEXT FOR SNOT? ARE YOU GUYS LOOKING FOR A LABEL OR DO YOU PLAN ON RELEASING THE NEW SNOT ALBUM ON YOUR OWN?

ting 100% into this album. We have labels that are interested in us. We could be signed tonight if we wanted. Weʼll finish our record then look for a label. The new Snot album will be released on a major label when itʼs finished.

Mickey: Well currently Myspace.com/Morbidwe are just writing our Miller record, we want to make the best album that we can possibly make; we are really put-

PG. 70 - MUEN Magazine May 2009 Part 1

TELL US ABOUT THE NEW RELEASE "DAEMONICUS AWAKENING" THAT IS DUE OUT APRIL 17TH. I UNDERSTAND THIS IS A "WORLD WIDE" RELEASE?WHAT CAN WE EXPECT FROM IT?

Yes, it will be a worldwide release, it will be out on 17th April Europe, through NoiseHead Records, and

MUEN Magazine May 2009 Part 1 - PG. 71

"Marching Through The Darkness" on 2006. This album was record one year ago, between that time until now we WHO IS NOISEHEAD had some problems, for example, the album was RECORDS? missing for almost 2 NoiseHead Records is months when it came our Label, from Austria. from Germany (where was mastered by the I think is a well organized label with great po- well known Waldemar Sorychta) tential and with many great bands. We can WHERE WILL YOU check them on TOUR IN SUPPORT OF www.noiseheadTHIS ALBUM, AND DO records.com or add them to your myspace YOU HAVE ANY PLANS TO friends at TOUR www.myhell on the music "Nenphilis" as well as the rest of the music on our album.

tacts to play outside of Portugal, its one of our dreams, i contacted some european clubs, but, since we don't have any promoter/booking agency, the answer was always negative. We are looking for a promoter/booking agency, especially on the USA cause we receive many messages of fans from there. IN YOUR WORDS, WHAT DOES

THE

29th May on USA through Relapse Records. You can expect an album with melodic guitars, atmospheric Keyboards and a voice out of hell. I think many fans of bands like Cradle of Filth, Moonspell, Dimmu Borgir, etc, will like this album. You can cry listening the music "Drowned In Sadness" or just headbang like

MUSIC OF SPEKTRUM REPRESENT?

space.com/noiseheadrecords

IS THIS YOUR FIRST ALBUM, OR ARE THERE PRIOR ALBUMS OUT?

yes, its our first album. We released a self financed demo called

i think our music repreOUT- sents our state of mind, SIDE OF an elevation of the soul, the abandoning of an YOUR LOCAL AREA earthly human body, IN THE FUTURE? embracing a superior We are trying to arrange state of mind, the fusion of ice that petrifies the gigs here in Portugal, but we don't have many soul and the melody choices here, i think in which will warm up desPortugal there are only tiny. 3 clubs with conditions HOW WOULD YOU to receive bands. DESCRIBE YOUR I ve made some con-

PG. 72 - MUEN Magazine May 2009 Part 1 LOCAL MUSIC ENVIRONMENT THERE IN PORTUGAL?

The music environment in Portugal already had good days, but i think that is growing up again, and we hope it does even more cause we have many great bands here in Portugal having only 40/50 persons per show, and that's too bad.

THE BAND FORMED IN 2005 AND WAS MORE OF A THRASH METAL BAND AT THAT TIME... WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO SWITCH TO A MORE MELODIC, GOTHIC STYLE OF METAL?

eheh, yes, we switched music style, cause, when our actual drummer, Samnu, got in to the band (as a keyboarder) he composed a music called "Shadows", now its record on our demo, and we thought, "Shit, this is what we want!". Then, Samnu, composed the drums too, and, since our drummer wasn't able of play that kind of music (he was to slow with his legs, he didn't know how to make double kick) we decided to let him out and let Samnu take care of the drums.

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STRAIGHT LINE STITCH Interview with Alexis By: Morbid Miller

Myspace.com/MorbidMiller Believe the hype Straight Line Stitch is defiantly one of the best bands of 2008. If I had to sum it up in two words I would say “Beautifully Brutal”. Straight Line Stitch accomplishes with ease what bands such as Kittie, Otep, and the more recent “In This Moment” have been trying to accomplish their entire careers. This is not your average chick fronted wanna be metal band. Straight Line Stitch is the real deal. Even hardcore legend Jamey Jasta (Hatebreed/Kingdom of Sorrow) had to get in on some of the action on the 3rd song titled “Taste of Ashes” from their debut album from Koch Records When Skies Wash Ashore as they light a fire with melodic hooks and jaw smashing riffs and set a blaze the competition. This is a band that will be in my personal rotation for years to come. When it came down for me to decide which band I wanted to feature next on Morbid Miller’s Top Unsigned Bands no other than Straight Line Stitch came to mind. I was

delighted at the fact that I had the opportunity to talk with the lovely lead singer from Straight Line Stitch "Alexis Brown". She is absolutely one of the most amazing human beings that I have talked with and is in my opinion one of the best lead singers in metal music today!!

....

HOW DID YOU GET A START TO YOUR MUSICAL CAREER? Alexis: My family has always been very supportive. I come from a musical background. My mom was always singing and playing in a band and my dad played the saxophone and my brother played

the guitar. I got into metal from my brother; he was into Ozzy and Pantera. I always wanted to be a singer even as a kid. My brother got me into this type of music.

SCREAMING VOCALS?

Alexis: After I got into the band the guys wrote a song which they told me that I needed to scream on this song. So I took WAS STRAIGHT LINE this little guitar amp STITCH YOUR FIRST and practiced in my EXPERIENCE WITH room screaming my SCREAMING STYLE brains out. Until I got it right, it didnʼt take me VOCALS? to long it all came pretty natural for me. Alexis: Yes, pretty much, in the band that I was in before Straight WERE YOU INLine Stitch was more SPIRED BY KITTIE, of a rock based group, OTEP, OR WALLS OF JERICHO? but nothing like Straight Line Stitch. Alexis: No actually, I HOW DID YOU FIND hadnʼt heard of those bands at that time. I OUT THAT YOU was mostly into the COULD DO

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local scene and punk buts off and then a guy music. Glassjaw is one named Dale “Rage” of my favorite bands! Resteghini that we met on tour asked if he I LOVE THAT BAND! I could manage us and JUST BOUGHT he said that he thought THEIR SELF REthat he could get us LEASED ALBUM BE- signed. We showFORE THEY WERE cased for some labels SIGNED ON EBAY and ended up signing FOR LIKE $300 with Koch Records. All CALLED “KISS KISS that I just explained BANG BANG”. took a couple of years to happen. Alexis: Really, they are awesome! I have WHAT DID YOUR heard of that album. FAMILY REACT TO YOU BEING IN AN ITʼS REALLY SAD EXTREME BAND THAT THEY ARE NOT SUCH AS STRAIGHT TOGETHER ANYLINE STITCH? MORE. THEY WERE ONE OF THE MOST Alexis: They thought it INFLUENTIAL was awesome. I mean BANDS OF OUR it did take awhile for TIME AND RARELY my dad to come GET ANY CREDIT. around because of the life style that surAlexis: I know, all the rounds me. Were algood bands die young. ways traveling and sometimes we donʼt HOW LONG DID IT eat, shower, or sleep. TAKE FOR My dad was like you STRAIGHT LINE need to get a 9-5 job STITCH TO GET and settle down. He SIGNED AND HOW eventually came DID IT HAPPEN? around when he accepted that this was Alexis: I tried out for my dream and he the band and we didnʼt want me to give played a couple of up on something that I shows. Then we loved so much. My recorded three songs mom and my brother for Jagermeister and were supportive from toured, toured, toured, day one. They would and toured some come to shows and more. We toured our buy stuff.

band to be on the road with such a great band such as DevilDriver that has had a lot of experience with touring and they shared some of their knowledge with us. They Alexis: I used to have kind of taught us the rules of the road. two jobs. I was a house keeper and a disaster relief aid but I YEA I HAVE MET DEZ AND HEʼS A REALLY lost those ultimately A NICE GUY. THE because I couldnʼt commit, so now my job ONLY THING THAT is Straight Line Stitch. CAUGHT ME OFF GUARD IS WHEN YOU WATCH OLD WHAT WAS SOME OF THE HIGHLIGHTS COAL CHAMBER VIDEOS AND CONOF THE DEVCERT FOOTAGE HE ILDRIVER TOUR? SEEMS LIKE THIS GIANT TOWERING Alexis: It was aweOVER THE CROWED some! That whole BUT HEʼS ACTUALLY band is awesome! I REALLY SHORT. love that band and Dez is an amazing Alexis: Heʼs not tall; I person. Every night was like wow too! was something new and it was a learning TELL ME ABOUT experience for me. Dez would always give YOUR NEXT TOUR me some pointers on COMING UP. I NOhow to keep my vocal TICED THAT YOU cords healthy and he ARE KIND OF JUMPING AROUND WITH gave me a scarf and told me to always have BANDS THAT YOU it around my neck. So ARE PLAYING WITH, it would be like 120 de- YOU HAVE A COUPLE OF DAYS WITH grees outside and I would have this scarf TRIVIUM, THEN A COUPLE OF DATES wrapped around my neck and people would WITH SPINESHANK. look at me weird. But it Alexis: We couldnʼt was fun and a great solidify a big tour so experience for our we are playing off days

ARE YOU ABLE TO FOCUS ALL YOUR TIME AND ENERGY TO YOUR MUSICAL CAREER OR DO YOU STILL HAVE A DAY JOB?

Bangers Ball. People seemed to really like WHATʼS NEXT FOR the video, which was a great feeling to see our STRAIGHT LINE STITCH AFTER THIS video being played on Head Bangers Ball. MINI TOUR?

with different bands.

DO YOU EVER GO Alexis: We defiantly are trying to get on to TO THE RECORD STORE TO SEE IF bigger and better tours. Thatʼs always or YOUR ALBUM IS THEIR AND HOW ITʼS goal but we can alDOING? ways go out by ourselves. Like I said Alexis: Actually we do “This is our job” we canʼt afford to stay at that a lot to see if they home and not do any- have it or see how thing. We have got to many albums are left. work to make a living. Sometimes we will find a bunch left or that there arenʼt any left. CAN YOU TELL ME ABOUT YOUR MUSIC So itʼs kind of hit or VIDEOS “EMISSION” miss. AND “BLACK VEIL”? HOW WAS IT WORKAlexis: “Emission” was ING WITH JAMEY our first video that we JASTA ON YOUR did and that was what SONG “TASTE OF kind of sealed the deal ASHES”? with Koch records. Alexis: It was awe“Black Veil” was our some, heʼs a very nice first video with a big crew but both videos to work with heʼs alwere about the same ways doing a billion doing takes over and different things. He over. They were both was talking about picking up Randy from fun. Lamb of God and his band Kingdom of SorDID ANY OF YOUR row. He could go on VIDEOS GET ANY for hours. He did a PLAY ON HEAD BANGERS BALL OR phenomenal job with the song “Taste of URANIUM? Ashes”. When I wrote the song I wrote it from Alexis: Actually yea, the perspective of both videos did get Jameyʼs Hatebreed some play on Head

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style vocals. I remember the first time I heard the song I thought of Jamey so it was cool that he ended up contributing his vocals to the track.

TOMORROW WOULD YOU BE SATISFIED WITH WHAT YOU HAVE ALREADY ACCOMPLISHED?

Alexis: No, I would be very upset because we WHAT KIND OF AD- are just getting started. VICE DO YOU HAVE Which brings to mind that its nice to see our FOR YOUNG MUSIvideo on Head CIANS COMING UP Bangers Ball or to play IN TODAYʼS MUSIC a great show and have BUSINESS? someone come up to Alexis: They need to you after the show and tell you that, but those know that first and foremost that itʼs hard joys are short lived and can be difficult at and are hard to enjoy, times, but if you have theirs always something else that seems a dream to do it then to come up and take donʼt let anyone disthat joy away. Its courage you. Find work, work, work, and your own sound, work, theirs always thereʼs a lot of good bands out their but you some kind of BS that want to make a voice you have to deal with, so its so hard to enjoy for yourself. Follow your dreams because it sometimes, but its all worth it at the end of anything you can dream you can make the day!!! come true. WHATʼS YOUR GOAL OR PURPOSE WITH STRAIGHT LINE STITCH? Alexis: My goal and purpose in this band is to make Straight Line Stitch a house hold name. We want the hard work to pay off! IF IT WAS ALL OVER

Myspace.com/MorbidMiller

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ACE ENDERS

(Drive-thru Records) Hammonton, New Jersey

Myspace.com/aceenders

By: Shauna OʼDonnell

MUEN: IS THE ACTUAL NAME OF YOUR BAND IS ACE ENDERS & A MILLION DIFFERENT PEOPLE? Yes.

MUEN: WHO ARE THE MILLION DIFFERENT PEOPLE?

The million different people are me and a few good friends that include my drummer Jason Howie, guitarist Will Gilreath and my bass player Sergio Anello. I also have my tour managers and my wife, who is a huge part of it, so I definitely consider her one of the million different people. Itʼs basically all the people who work for us, everyone. MUEN: YOU ARE CONSIDERED A SOLO ARTIST NOW, SO DO THE SAME

PEOPLE TOUR WITH MUEN: YOU ARE YOU EVERY TIME? KIND OF KNOWN FOR HAVING MANY These people have SIDE PROJECTS. come pretty much on HOW MANY PROJevery tour. ECTS HAVE YOU HAD GOING AT MUEN: DID YOU ONCE? LEAVE “THE EARLY NOVEMBER” TO Well, realistically, the START A SOLO CA- most side projects that REER? I have had going on musically at once have No, it was more of a been two. I have almutual thing. The ways tried to do other band split on its own things like a label or I and this was the next try to do this thing thing for me to do that called Sound of Evolution where people look made sense.

at buying music differently. I try to do a bunch of things at once to keep busy and keep my creative flow going. MUEN: YOUR LATEST ALBUM WHEN I HIT THE GROUND HAS JUST BEEN RELEASED. CONGRATULATIONS IT IS WONDERFUL. WHAT HAS BEEN THE REACTION TO IT SO FAR? It has been great so

far. Most of it has been wonderful, although there have been a few people who were fans of the old project that have had a hard time taking to it. Just a few of them though. It has mostly been a positive, wonderful thing.

MUEN: HOW DO YOU PERSONALLY VIEW THIS RELEASE AS COMPARED TO OTHERS IN THE PAST?

This one is definitely my favorite one that I have ever done. I feel like I am more a part of it. It is more true to me and I am very happy with it.

MUEN: WHAT WOULD YOU SAY YOU DID DIFFERENTLY ON THIS ALBUM THAT YOU HAD NOT DONE ON THE OTHERS?

This album was just played by myself and producer Chris Badami. We were the only ones in the studio and we split all the responsibilities. That is the biggest difference. MUEN: HOW LONG DID IT TAKE YOU TO

WRITE THIS ALBUM?

MUEN Magazine May 2009 Part 1 - PG. 77

SOCIALLY CONSCIOUS COME UP QUITE OFTEN. IS I recorded it a few dif- THAT HOW ferent times, not the YOU WOULD DEsame exact one, but I SCRIBE THE LYRICS recorded three albums AND MUSIC YOU in the past two years CREATE? building up to this. It was definitely quite a Socially conscious? I while and I had a guess maybe, I just try whole bunch of differ- and write about life ent songs. It was prob- and whatʼs going on. I ably a year or maybe try not to be one sided a little longer. about anything and keep things open. MUEN: WHICH OF THE SONGS ON THE MUEN: I LOVE THE ALBUM IS CLOSEST COVER WITH ALL TO YOUR HEART? THE RANDOM PICOR THAT YOU RETURES. ARE THOSE LATE TO THE PICTURES THAT MOST? YOU TOOK WHILE ON THE ROAD? I would say “The Only Thing I Have” because Yes. it describes what the past couple years MUEN: WELL, I have been for me. LOVED IT BECAUSE That is probably my IT WAS CREATIVE. favorite one, but I do YOU COVERED love all of them the “THE VERVEʼS” same. “BITTERSWEET SYMPHONY” REMUEN: THEY ARE CENTLY. WHY DID ALL YOUR BABIES. YOU CHOOSE TO COVER THAT PARYeah, they are all my TICULAR SONG? babies. Now I see them growing up and That was always one of my favorite songs. going out into the Itʼs one of those world. songs for me, that whatever mood Iʼm in I MUEN: AS I WAS can listen to it. It is a READING ABOUT reliable, comfortable YOU THE WORDS

place to go to. I wanted to share that with people who didnʼt know it or who werenʼt open to it. Itʼs for the benefit Save the Music so it was my way of saying this is one of those songs that can do that for you.

MUEN: WHERE IS IT AVAILABLE? It is available on ITunes only.

MUEN: YOU HAVE A NEW VIDEO THAT WILL BE RELEASED FOR THE SINGLE “THE ONLY THING I HAVE.” TELL US ABOUT THE VIDEO. WHAT CAN WE EXPECT?

I like it; I think it came out good. Itʼs about a kid who is growing up, having some issues and discovering what he wants to do. Itʼs a little boy and he plays me as a little child. It all takes place in his bedroom, imagining what he is going to be when he grows up. It debuted on MySpace Music yesterday.

MUEN: YOUʼRE GOING OUT IN APRIL WITH ALL

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AMERICAN REJECTS AND SHINY TOY GUNS. THAT MUST BE SO EXCITING.

It is, Iʼm really excited. Itʼs one of the biggest tours that I have been able to do so far.

MUEN: HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE THE INDIE/ALTERNATIVE SCENE AS IT STANDS TODAY AND WHAT ARE SOME OF THE MAJOR CHANGES YOU HAVE SEEN?

Some of the major changes are that it is so much more mainstream now than it ever was. I donʼt think you can call it indie anymore because most of the bands sell just as many records as the major label commercial stuff. I think the indie rock scene plays and sells out as many shows as well. It seems to me anyway. It used to be youʼd play in basements or wherever and now itʼs all huge. All the bands that I grew up with are either broken up or huge. Thatʼs what I hate about what is happening now, as it is getting

more mainstream, everybody is doing the same thing. Those are the bands that are doing so well now too. They are taking over. It is hard to be in this scene and make honest rock music.

They are very honest and not fake. They are what they are and they do it good. They are not trying to fit into any trends. They are being themselves and still having respect for what they make and being artistic.

MUEN: WHO HAS BEEN THE BIGGEST MUEN: AND BELIEVINFLUENCE TO YOU ING IN WHAT THEY IN REGARDS TO DO. THAT SCENE? Yeah, exactly, that is Obviously, Jimmy Eat becoming a rare thing. World is always going That is definitely why I to hold a special respect them so much. place in my heart.

MUEN: OTHER THAN MUSIC, WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR OTHER INTERESTS? I love kayaking, canoeing and barbequing. That is one of my favorite things to do, ever. Iʼd do it everyday.

MUEN: IT WAS GREAT TALKING WITH YOU.

Thank you very much for your time.

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IS NOT REALLY A CONCEPT ALBUM. WHAT POINT WERE YOU TRYING TO GET ACROSS WHEN YOU WROTE IT? years and I think it will be really nice for people to hear what

we have been up to.

MUEN: WHY DID YOU NAME IT AUTONOMY GAMES? WHAT IS THE ALBUM MEANING BEHIND IT? AND THERE I didnʼt title it, but my ARE SO MANY GREAT basic understanding of it SONGS. I WANTED is the concept of what the (Windband stands for and that TO ASK up Records) is autonomy. The ability WHY YOU ONLY HAVE to realize how little you ONE OF THEM UP ON Evan McCarthy (bass) need from the eco sysYOUR MYSPACE tem around you or howPLAYER. Los Angeles, CA ever you want to word it. Obviously, everyone Thank you, Iʼm excited Myspace.com/endtoo. I donʼt personally run needs one another in a lesshallway everything as far as inter- society. We need one annet content goes. I donʼt other in civilization, but By: Shauna OʼDonnell know exactly, but I think as far as needing one anvery shortly there will be other for approval or the MUEN: IʼM REALLY EX- another song up and we ability to do what youʼre will go from there. We will doing, we need to be CITED ABOUT YOUR start to leak a little more able to recognize how litDEBUT ALBUM DUE tle you need others for as we get closer to the OUT ON APRIL 28TH that. album coming out. We CALLED AUTONOMY have been working on GAMES. I HAVE LISMUEN: SO THE ALBUM TENED TO THE ENTIRE this record for a couple

I guess that is an interesting thing that you said about trying to get a point across. I donʼt think we are trying to get any point across; itʼs more about bringing people into worlds that are cool enough to want to come back to. I think that is really the idea, making songs that are there own little world or ride. Everybody has there favorite one and they want to go back to that world. They might even draw something from that song that you werenʼt able to draw from it even if you were one of the ones who helped make the song. We are not trying to moralize or teach like that, but we definitely want to inspire. MUEN: THERE HAS BEEN A LOT OF TALK ABOUT ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES LATELY IN THE NEWS. ARE YOU INVOLVED IN ANY ENVIRONMENTAL GROUPS OR CAUSES?

Oh, because I said the word eco system? That was just a really weird figurative use of the word.

MUEN: WOULD YOU SAY THAT THIS ALBUM IS VISUAL ART?

Yes, and itʼs not in my nature. Growing up I have always been a conceptual person. I work with symbols, notes and words. Ryan (vocalist) is a very visual person; he was trained in visual art. Itʼs something that I appreciate, but because it is not in my nature I have had to adapt. I would say that this is much more of a visual endeavor than you might expect. We take the visual side of things very seriously and we identify with the visuals very strongly. MUEN: WHAT MADE YOU DECIDE TO CHOOSE NOAH SHAIN TO PRODUCE THE ALBUM?

I think it was a pretty natural choice, because he sort of took us under his wing from very early on when we didnʼt necessarily have the support that we do now. I wasnʼt even part of the band when Ryan and Jono first met him and they produced a four song demo with him. They took the demo very seriously. He has been a mentor and we have all learned so much from him. He has been a great friend and very patient with us. He will actually take the time to explain and help you along.

MUEN: ITʼS A GREAT ALBUM. Thank you so much. I

feel more entitled to brag about the album just in the fact that I didnʼt write most of it. If I say that I think it is amazing, I donʼt feel like Iʼm tooting my own horn. Iʼm a fan myself and very thankful to be a part of it.

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those things whenever I find out about them. Hereʼs what youʼre doing today and Iʼm like “OK.” I hope that we celebrate it by being in some random town as far away from L.A. as possible. I know it doesnʼt sound like the average celebraMUEN: HOW DID THE tion, but to me that is how RECORDING PROCESS we need to function right GO FOR YOU? now. It was great, but it dragged out a bit. We learned a lot. We learned that we are definitely a bit naïve. Trying to translate something from your mind into the physical world is something that everybody is trying to do. If everybody could perfectly translate their mind into the world around them then everybody would be Michelangelo. You are facing the battle for the first time when you try to do something like that. You learn that just because you can talk a good game doesnʼt mean that you can carve that out. We learned a lot about discipline and about our identity as individuals, but as a band we are a cohesive unit which is a very different thing than just being an artist. Ultimately, we came out with a lot of lessons that we can apply toward the future. MUEN: HOW DO YOU PLAN ON CELEBRATING ITS RELEASE? I sort of find out about

MUEN: WHAT WOULD YOU CONSIDER TO BE MORE IMPORTANT, THE LYRICS OR THE MUSIC?

I think that is a really good point. I tend to wonder what things signify, so to me lyrics are important. I can be sold on a band or an act just solely by how clever their lyrics are. I consider the lyrics to be more important than the music because I think that we tried so hard to come up with something that you can embrace. We didnʼt want the listener to know what comes next. We try to do something fresh. I canʼt really say one is more important than the other though. MUEN: YOUR BIO SAYS THAT YOU HAVE CREATED A DIFFERENT SOUND TRACK TO A DIFFERENT LIFE. WHAT IS MEANT BY THAT? We didnʼt write the bio, but I guess in a rough sketched way itʼs not a

different life as far as escapism goes, but maybe just a different view point on life. I think one of the things I find inspiring when I am trying to remind myself of what we are trying to do is that people just take what they are fed. Sometimes people reach for whatever is closest to them when they are thinking or talking. If I had to draw meaning from it, maybe we are trying to make landscapes musically that you can work with when you are reaching a little further and digging a little deeper and go “What do I actually want to say right now? What do I actually feel right now? What do I want to do with my life regardless of what anybody thinks about it or regardless of what I owe anybody? What is really important to me in the long run?” I know that sounds a little epic. MUEN: NO, THAT SOUNDS GREAT. ONE OF THE SONGS I AM COMPELLED TO LISTEN TO OVER AND OVER IS “SOLVENCY.” I LOVE THE SONG.

We love it too. Itʼs a lot of fun to play live. That song was sort of reverse engineered from a drum line, which I donʼt think, is common in music. I think itʼs awesome that the drums were so powerful and so identifiable. It was one of the first things

PG. 82 - MUEN Magazine May 2009 Part 1 written for the song and a testament for how creative our drummer Joe can be. That is the first song we are pushing and we made a video for it. Did you get a chance to see the video?

MUEN: I DID AND I WAS GOING TO BRING IT UP. IT IS VERY INTERESTING.

We have gotten some different reactions from it. Things that you would never think, it is always interesting to see what a random group of people will say. It was a lot of fun making it though.

MUEN: IT WAS DEFINITELY RANDOM. THAT IS THE WORD I WOULD HAVE USED. IT WAS REALLY COOL THOUGH.

(Laughing) It was shot in Portland and it was a very uncomfortable long day. I understand that is how video shoots are, but it was my first one. Maybe it didnʼt make perfect sense, but the video might be a good example for a lot of things. We donʼt necessarily feel we have to follow the most perfect linear plot line at all times and spoon feed someone a story from start to finish. I can see it being random for somebody, but at the same time it might allow them to provide their own sub text or their own narrative. We may leave a few

holes here and there, but ality and fire power. We that allows people to fill in couldnʼt be happier. the gaps and relate to it. MUEN: NOW YOU MUEN: HOW LONG GUYS ARE IN THE L.A. HAVE YOU GUYS BEEN AREA. WHAT DO YOU IN THE BAND? THINK OF THE MUSIC SCENE IN L.A.? Iʼd say three to four years. It started with Jono I donʼt think I know everyEvans and Ryan Jackthing that is going on, so I son. They began writing might not be the best without a band and dejudge of that. I donʼt know veloped a following with- how much of a music out the ability to play a scene there is in L.A. I show. All the instruments feel like one good thing were there and recorded. about the music scene in Then they got Tye and general is that people Joe and then finally me. seem more willing to emWhen they decided to brace something regardplay live they didnʼt have less of its demographic. It a bassist, so they called doesnʼt seem like people me and I think that was are as channeled or two years ago. It took a herded into categories. long time to wrap up the There seems to be more record and record it. The of “Hey, you caught me band has been around off guard, but thatʼs kind for a while, but it is weird of cool.” Someone can because we feel like we not really relate to someare getting our start right oneʼs life on a personal now. Even though we feel level and can be ok with that way, we have built it. At least that promises such a foundation philo- that if you make good art, sophically, as friends and it will be respected and artists. you wonʼt be as pigeonholed as you might have MUEN: YOU HAVE been in another time. BUILT A BROTHERHOOD. MUEN: I AGREE WITH YOU ON THAT. IʼM NOT Yeah, absolutely, you are EVEN LOCKED INTO absolutely right. That is ONE GENRE. I LIKE something none of us ALL KINDS OF MUSIC knew would happen. AS LONG AS ITʼS GOOD. MUEN: YOU GUYS ARE ON WIND-UP. THATʼS A Exactly, I think that is a really good way to put it. GREAT LABEL. It doesnʼt matter about Yeah, they have been in- the genre. Genres are credible. They have that mattering less and less, great balance of individu- because people are real-

izing that almost everything in any genre sucks. People are more willing to dip into a genre and pick out the actual art. It makes for some interesting line-ups when you are playing shows. You play some shows with some really strange and different bands.

MUEN: WHO HAVE YOU BEEN PLAYING SHOWS WITH?

We havenʼt been playing too many shows. We played some shows with Circa Survive. I wouldnʼt say they are strange; they are definitely a unique band. They are incredible live and inspiring to open for. We played a show with a band called Inner Party System; they have an amazing live show. MUEN: I NOTICED YOU HAVE SOME TOUR DATES ON YOUR PAGE.

Yeah, we are going out with our friend Sonny Moore. He has a solo project and it is amazing. Our producer Noah Shain produced his record. He has put so much into his music. He is so animated and so inspiring. Itʼs going to be really exciting for this whole bunch of rats to be out on tour together. We are going over to the east coast. MUEN: IS THIS YOUR FIRST TRIP TO THE

EAST COAST?

try all these ideas. There is something really speYeah, as far as touring it cial about that isolation, is our first time. We are but itʼs just as amazing to going to Georgia play live. You are not and up the eastern complete until you do seaboard. It will be great. that. We need to beat ourselves up out on the MUEN: WHAT DOES road as much as we did THE REST OF 2009 in the studio. HOLD FOR YOU GUYS? MUEN: OUT ON THE Ideally, just non-stop tour- ROAD IS WHERE YOU ing and playing shows WILL MAKE ALL KINDS until our fingers bleed OF NEW FANS. SOMEand our voices stop work- TIMES IT TAKES THEM ing. That is sort of the GOING TO phase were in. We have A LIVE SHOW AND been lab rats long SEEING YOUR ENERGY enough and we need to AND SEEING WHAT get out there. There is YOU ARE ALL ABOUT. something that you can THEN HOPEFULLY get from being creative, THEY COME OUT TO writing music and record- YOUR NEXT SHOW BEing music that you cannot get live. Where you can just be so particular and

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CAUSE YOU HAVE IMPRESSED THEM THAT MUCH.

Yeah, that totally makes sense to me. That has happened for me that way where I had to be hit in the face with a band live before I gave them a chance. A lot of things are thrown in your face in this day and age. I think we have come full circle into the shape of things as they were in the 60ʼs. James Brown would tour 300 dates in a year and just be a machine like that. Singles were another part of the 60ʼs and that is sort of the way I guess itʼs going to be working for the most part

again. Itʼs a strange thing how the times can be harmonic even tough they are far apart. We are in a similar pattern like that again. Itʼs singles

and touring where you will have to win people over.

MUEN: I WOULD LIKE TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. IT WAS A PLEASURE TALKING TO YOU. GOOD LUCK WITH THE ALBUMʼS RELEASE. Thank you very much!

PG. 84 - MUEN Magazine May 2009 Part 1

YVONNEʼS WORLD

2009, and alot has gone for Autumn's End. All their hard work starting to pay off. A visceral live show that has gotten them alot of attention, not to mention coveted opening slots for such metal heavyweights: Danzig, Black Dahlia Murder, Arch Enemy, Hate Eternal, Eyes of Fire and even David Allan Coe.

This Monthʼs Feature: AUTUMNʼS END

Myspace.com/autumnsend

Since forming in 2003, Phoenix, Arizona's Autumn's End have had a singular focus to be one of the worlds best metal band. It is this intense drive and focus that has made them well respected in a highly competitive global scene.

Over the past six years, Autumn's End have been on a relentless pursuit of perfecting their craft. Countless hours of militant writing and rehearsing. Each member bringing something different to the table. Each contributing to this unique vision: Chris Cannella (Lead Guitar/lead vocals) demonic growls, mournful cleans, and insane fretwork. He is A.E.'s technicality, it's precision. Anthony "ANT" DeJe-

Ant

sus (Rhythm Guitar/Back Vocals). Ant is A.E's machine gun right hand, it's melodic moodswing, and it's sense of humor (Can't be serious all the time right?) Joey Kamka (Drums) the thundering heartbeat, the swagger.

EL (Bass/backing vocals) El is A.E.'s melancholy heart, it's El tortured soul. (Not to mention the moodiest of the bunch) A volatile mix, to be sure and definite force Chris to be reconded with. Fast forward to

Autumn's End has also garnered many sought-after endorsements: Jackson Guitars, Mesa, Boogie Amps, DR Strings, HBE Electronics, and most recently EMG Pickups!

In that time Autumn's End have also put out self financed, fulllength Demos. The second of which, "Act of Attrition", spawned two videos for "Eye's of Ignorance" and "Scars from the Cradle", and currently being remixed and re-mastered by the legendary

Neil Kernon (Nile Cannibal Corpse, Nevermore) Recently Chris Cannella has done several online product Tom demos for Jackson Guitars. He was also tapped to do the Jackson Metal Masters Tour. Traveling the country doing demos and promoting Jackson Guitars as well as the band.

The years have had their downside as well. Among the usual mishaps they befall and working band, there have been lineup changes as well.

In 2007 drummer Joey Kamka was almost killed in a motorcycle accident. After extensive emergency surgery and rehab, Joey returned to the kit. But the wear, tear and strain, unfortunately became too much, and Joey had to leave the band. He is missed by the band and fans alike.

Down but not out, Autumn's End have spent the better part of '09 writing the follow up to "Act of

MUEN Magazine May 2009 Part 1 - PG. 85

Attrition". Thanks in part to longtime friend Tom "The Tank" Yount who has been filling in the on drums until a permanent member is found.

more moody than it's predecessor. A new record and new, exciting possibilities are on the horizon for this metal band of brothers.

The new record looks Stay tuned...... to be darker and much

PG. 86 - MUEN Magazine May 2009 Part 1

BUDGIEʼS LEGENDARY ORIGINAL DRUMMER GETS SET FOR RETURN TO MAINSTREAM ROCK . By Jus Forrest

really needed to! Why? ʻCos I could express my thoughts in and through Ray Phillips, probably best known for his role as my music. I understand people may not like my a founding member of music, they may say itʼs Welsh heavy rockers crap or whatever, but BUDGIE is set to comwhen all said and done I plete his very first and long awaited solo album, had to give it a go. I had my three year apprendue for release in later ticeship in my studio first, this year. Jus Forrest and now itʼs Ksara Sara. catches up with Ray at his studio in South MUEN: WHAT MAKES Wales, where he takes THIS LATEST PROJsome time out to answer ECT DIFFERENT TO a few questions. ANYTHING YOU HAVE DONE PREVIOUSLY? MUEN: YOUʼRE CURRENTLY GETTING SET Well, I have put lots of TO RETURN TO THE thought into this project. ROCK SCENE WITH Itʼs all about me and the YOUR SOLO DEBUT. WHAT PROMPTED YOU topics I feel passionate about, and I will stand TO DO A SOLO alone with my name and ALBUM? reputation on the line. If people like what they I had all I could take of hear then the name of dealing with negative Ray Phillips will hold hangers on who had good. I guess time will loads of mouth and no tell. good idea's to back it all up with. Being let down MUEN: YOU STILL USE all the time was also a THE VERY SAME big factor. One day I sat DRUM KIT YOU USED and had a long think to myself. I said to myself - BACK IN THE ʻ70ʼS WITH BUDGIE? you could do this if you

I still use my Ludwig Super Classic kit and always will.

CHANGED AT ALL WITH REGARDS TO PRODUCING MUSIC?

For all practical purposes as a musician my view point is still the same today as it was back then in Budgie. Bullshit plays no part in writing music you can either play or you canʼt. You can either write or you canʼt. The question is how good are you? In my opinion the best players and the best A Budgie reunion, songwriters have a lot of hmmm. This to me is respect for those people good business but no matter what my thoughts who are not brilliant at eiit makes no difference, it ther. What matters is can you write a good tune will not happen. Infact and can you write good some years ago I had a lyrics – can you write a phone call from some song. Now the bullshit record company in the part, one guitarist in one USA. I was asked if the of my bands [Tredegar] first line up would be infucked us about all the terested in recording an album. It was shot down time, and one of his in flames by Burke [Shel- things was always flying to LA with a friend of his ley]. He felt that I had who was a singer (a very helped set it all up. So good singer as it haplets all forget that one pens), something to do shall we! with Geezer Butler (in my opinion a top of the tree MUEN: YOU HAVE no bullshit bass player). SPENT MANY YEARS AS A MUSICIAN. WITH Now what is that guitarist FORTY YEARS IN THE doing today and what is BUSINESS HAVE YOUR that singer doing? For my part bullshit walks, talent VIEW POINTS MUEN: A COMMON TOPIC AMONG FANS HAS ALWAYS BEEN THE PROBABILITY OF A BUDGIE REUNION. HOW WOULD YOU FEEL ABOUT A BUDGIE REUNION FEATURING THE ORIGINAL LINE-UP?

213-924-4901

and hard work gets you respect. MUEN: WILL WE SEE YOU PERFORM THE NEW MATERIAL LIVE AT SOME POINT?

If the opportunity came about and it was worthwhile then yes definitely. I would have to set some guidelines however. First thing is one of the players I would have to have on board would be Jus Forest, she gets things done and sheʼs gigged with me in the past. She understands what its about. It would of course be a very big commitment but you never know whatʼs around the corner. One thing is for sure, I would love to go on tour playing my solo material as well as classic Budgie. Lets see where it all goes. MUEN: CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT ANOTHER PROJECT OF YOURS THE UPCOMING BOOK?

The book, yes, its something I've pondered for sometime. It was when I first spoke to Jus I felt it could become a reality. Jus seemed very excited at the prospect of a book on the life and times of Ray Phillips and Budgie. I now find myself thinking back to my days in Budgie quite a lot. As I put words down I try to see things as clearly as possible and I want to be truthful as well, hence it

will include the good the bad, the sad, happy and the funny.

GORY BLISTER Italy

Gory Blister made their debut with a couple of demo tapes in 1991 and 1993 but the first exposure was given by the mini CD “Cognitive Sinergy”, that gave the band the first league of Gory fans. Several live shows followed and despite some line-up troubles, the first Gory members (Joe, drums and Raff, guitars) have always managed to stick together and move on. The band obtained an extremely good feedback and as an example Gory Blister was picked up by the German magazine Rock Hard and included them on the compilation CD “Unerhort” and did an interview as well. From that moment on the exposure of Gory Blister grew Europewide.

In 2003 Gory Blister signed to the French label Sekhmet Records and released their first full length album “Art

Bleeds”. This resulted in their first headlining tour in Italy and expending their fanbase from Europe to the underground worldwide. In 2005 Dutch label Mascot Records signed the band and made their exposure grow wider and wider. With “Skymor-

phosis” (2006) Gory Blister delivered an album of a very high standard death metal 13 original songs and one cover song to commemorate Chuck from Death (1000 eyes). Under an encouraging response, the band toured Europe with death metallers Sadus and Darkane; sharing this experience with great musicians was a very special experience and made the band improve their feeling and abilities. Thus they started to write down the new songs thinking about their “live” impact as well, more than in the past any riff and arrangement for each instrument was focused on a “live on stage” dimension because Gory Blister is first of all a live

death metal band. Then they just played the new stuff with an old style anger and aggression and Graveyard Of Angels was born. The main evolution regarding the new album is dealing with the songwriting. The song structure is more flowing than ever without losing the main technical feature of Gory Blister sound…

Just these days the new chapter is being released by Mascot Records. “Graveyard Of Angels” is the natural prosecution of Gory Blisterʼs Skymorphosis, mixing old school aggression with technical and progressive music into classic death metal. Moreover, from the initial comparison with masters Death, the band has acquired more and more personality, so that you will always experience originality both in riffs and lyrics.

Despite the fact that many people used to say death metal was dead in late nineties, bands such as Gory Blister show itʼs kicking more ass than ever. Myspace.com/goryblister