Translation of audio interview...

We have Tom Maxwell from HELLYEAH on the phone as he checks in from the road. (Dallas Tx)

• MPJ - How's the Family Values Tour going?
• TOM - It's going really really good. It's a little rough, you know, cause were are playing during the daytime; it's a 35 minute set. Of course we would love to be playing a lot longer then that but that's Ok. It's going great. We're kicking ass, making new fans everyday and blow it up. There is no complaints except we would love to be playing a lot longer, ya know.
• MPJ - Right.
• TOM - That's pretty much it. It's going really really good. We are getting to go to several different venues and getting up there and Kick Ass like we should be doing.
• MPJ - Right on. Back in the beginning of HellYeah, when you were in the studio, at first Vinny had a hard time being in his and Dime's Studio and HellYeah almost didn't happened. I can't imagine stepping out on a stage would be any easier for him. Can you take us back to that first HellYeah show, and as a band, what concerns did you have and what preparations were taken?
• TOM - For that first show, I think that we were all... Not scared, but it was our first show together and first time for us all of us getting up on a stage together. It was a long time, but we went in for our sound check, and during our sound check we were busy get everything right and set. When it came time for our set, we heard everyone chanting "HellYeah" and everything else went out the window and we just went up there and everything just took over itself. It was definitely natural and it was awesome, ya know. That first show was in Baltimore.
• MPJ - Now, that is your hometown, right?
• TOM - Yeah, I'm from Baltimore. So, I was really really excited and happy about that. Baltimore can be a really tough town, where it can be very blue collar and tough, but we just went up there and kicked ass to the kids that were there. It was a sold out show. You couldn't have asked for a better way to start a tour.
• MPJ - Definitely. That was very cool. Now, we got to catch you guys on the Family Values Tour. You guys had a great performance. It was definitely one of the highlights that we saw from the show. When you are playing, we can definitely sense a strong chemistry between all of you on stage. Was that something that happened naturally there in the beginning or would you say it kind of developed over time?
• TOM - I would say that it was something that came along with time. It's a chemistry thing with a band that seemed to work like magic. Well I hate to use that word because it's so cliche today, but it really was, ya know? It wasn't something that we stride for. It seemed like other forces at work here.
• MPJ - Right. Very cool. Now, was it different to start a band with musicians that were already successful? And when you guys went in to write the album, did you ever feel like there was more pressure put on you because of that success?
• TOM - Nah, Not at all. We have all been friends for a long time. At first in the beginning, it was like when you go into doing anything new for the first time, like when you go into buying a new car, you get psyched up but your not sure how everything is going to perform or stack up. But it really fell into place really well. No one had egos or anything. We ultimately did it for ourselves. We didn't care if it was successful or if it sold like 500,000 records or 5 records. It really didn't matter. We just went into it all to do it for fun. Ya know what I mean?
• MPJ - Right!! That's how it should be too. Not in it for what you can do, but rather for what you can do for yourself.
• TOM - Exactly.
• MPJ - Was there adjustments for you and Greg coming from bands that both only have one guitarist to now you both are sharing with having two? How has that transition been?
• TOM - No. Not too much. Greg and I have again, known each other for a while and are familiar with each other's playing style for a while. And I think they compliment each other. He'd do a riff and I would come back with a riff. Or I would come up with a riff and he would come back with a riff. So, it's been really easy and it's been a real surprise with that. Sometimes things happen so quickly that you get so caught up in the moment and you don't know what is going to happened or where it's going to lead, but it turns out to be really Kick Ass. And playing with him has been really awesome. It's new for both of us, but it feels really familiar.
• MPJ - Now you guys have known each other since "Tattoo The Earth" tour (2000). Is that where some of this idea took place for this band?
• TOM - You know, Chad and I hit it off really good when we first met. It was one of those things that we just struck up a strong friendship instantly when we first met, like we have know each other our whole lives or something like that. I think it was one of those tours with Nothingface, Mudvayne and Disturbed. It was an off night me and Chad were in New Orleans on Bourbon Street having fun and getting drunk. We were saying how it would be cool to start a band together or just write some music together. And that was pretty much when the seed was planted. It was about a year later, when he came into Baltimore. That's when we wrote our first song together which was "Waging Wars." Incidentally that made the record too. It's such a strong song. Once we did that song, we knew that we had something there. It then because just a matter of putting it together. Then 3-4 years later, when we finally had the time to do it and we were like let's finally do this! It pretty much came into play back in that time when we did the tours together.
• MPJ - Now, You said the first song came from just you and Chad; how did the writing process go from there when the other members started coming into play?
• TOM - Last spring, Mudvayne was just coming off their last tour, and Chad called me and said Listen, Mudvayne is taken 6-7 months off. So the time to do it is this time to do it. Defiantly, let's do this. He told me that Greg had expressed interests in coming in to do this too and I thought that was really cool. We all just talked and kind of felt it out. Next thing we knew we were looking for a drummer. And a friend of our started putting a call into Vinny. And at first, he didn't want to. They would call again and we would get rejected; they would call again and we would get rejected again. Then we caught him on a good night and he said come down and we would see what we would do.



(END OF PART 1 of Audio...)

• MPJ - What was it like when you first went down to see Vinny then?
• TOM - It was really really kick ass. The first night we got together and we went out drinking and out to diner. The next day we were down there we got writing and 8 days later we had 7 songs. We went down there every single day at first and it was a little awkward ya know, because you're just starting out; you need to feel each other out at first but when we went in to it, there were no egos or anything. We were all really calm and collected, and the next thing you know it was eight days later and we had the 7 songs (done). Three weeks went by and then we all went back down there and we wrote another 6-7 songs in that session. We started recording the record at that point and then we had to go back in and start to clean stuff up and doing the overdubs and stuff like that. That first day though was a little on nerves, ya know where everyone was on their nerves, but it dissipated quickly once we started really getting in to writing.
• MPJ - Right. Now where did you guys get your influence? You guys have that southern metal boozed soaked type of sound?
• TOM - Well, I come from a real bluesy side as well as Nothingface extreme metal, but the stuff that I like to listen to is a lot of Zeppelin and the Beatles. Same with Greg. We all kind of come from that same background as we all grew up listening to the same music. I think that gave it that kind of southern metal vibe, I think is the way Vinny would bring his drums in as he would crush into that vibe and turn those riffs around and give it that style and give it those hooks. I think a lot of it has to do with the way Vinny brings his style into it in when he gets behind the drums. He just blazes it right out. It's awesome.
• MPJ - Right. And Vinny produced it (the album) too, correct?

• TOM - He sure did.
• MPJ - So that had to have a little influence on it too, wouldn't it?
• TOM - Oh absolutely. We are doing things that I have never done before. We were recording it in a session that we weren't used to. He had to master the whole record and we just followed his lead.
• MPJ - Was it easier having a producer that was actually a member of the band, opposed to it being an outsider.
• TOM - It was very cool. He had the same vision. When you work with a producer, sometimes you don't see eye to eye with the producer or what they want to accomplish and vise versa. But with this, it was really easy and the songs seemed to write themselves. It was very cool.
• MPJ - Very cool. Now you guys have a DVD in the works that is suppose to come out around Christmas time?
• TOM - I'm not sure on the exact release date, but we are compiling hundreds and hundreds of hours of video of the shows, the backstage and all the antics in between, of us going out and partying and it's going to be the life of us. It's not going to be typical; it's going to be pretty full blown of what it is like to live in this band. To the drinking to the antics to all the craziness in between...
• MPJ - Very cool. We will be looking forward to that.
• TOM - Me too.
• MPJ - I want to switch gears for a little bit here and talk a little about Nothingface. You have songs written, but have you recorded the new album yet there???
• TOM - Yeah, I've written about 50 songs for the new album. We have a bulk load of them recorded but we will have to go back in and re-record them for an album because they are only in a demo form. Yup, we have a whole catalog of songs written for a new album. We will probably release something next year. Once we get done with the HellYeah cycle, Chad and Greg will go back to Mudvayne next year and so that is probably what I will be doing too. But my heart is all put into the HellYeah thing and living with what we have going right now.
• MPJ - Oh definitely. You have to put that energy into what you're doing right now.
• TOM - Hell Yeah!
• MPJ - Right. Well best of luck with it all when it comes time for Nothingface to kick back in. But back to HellYeah now, you guys just released your second single for Alcohaulin Ass. And you are running a contest with a fans only music video and something about a girls' calendar?
• TOM - I heard something about that, but I don't know much about that. I still have to talk to our manager more about that but I heard that there is some kind of HellYeah Girl Calendar thing coming up? I don't know much about it though; you probably know more about it than I do.
• MPJ - There was something on your myspace page about it.
• TOM - Yeah, I don't pay attention to myspace page, it's an evil.
• MPJ - Yeah it is. But the girls who want to be part of it, you will have to go there and check it out (www.myspace.com/hellyeah). You guys are finishing up the Family Values Tour in Sept. There are rumors flying around that you will be the support act for Korn in October, is that anything that you can talk about?
• TOM - That is kind of what we are leaning towards but nothing is confirmed or officially released yet, so I can't say anything yet. But one way or another we will doing something like that or go out on our own or who knows. I've been hearing things from our manager too, but nothing has been confirmed yet and there is no official release yet, so it's still unclear on what exactly we are doing yet although there are plans that are being made, I just don't know where they are going to fall.
• MPJ - Right. But you will definitely be touring though, somewhere?
• TOM - Absolutely. We are going to be touring up until next year.
• MPJ - Very good. That's about it for us. Thank you, Tom.
• TOM - Yup, no problem.

• MPJ -This tour is winding down in North America, what is next?
• JESSE -After April 4th, we have a lot of stuff scheduled... Tokyo, Rio, Australlia, all that is with Korn. From April 18th through may 2nd. Then, we get a few days off and then start our headlining tour on May 4th. I'm not sure who is going out with us. In Late May, June and July, we have a lot of Festival shows in Europe that we will also be doing, like the Download Festival plus some festival dates in the states too. It looks like we will be touring up until Christmas. We are looking forward to this. We have only been to the USA and Canada. I love the Asian culture and am looking forward to going over and checking it out.
• MPJ -That should be cool.
• JESSE -One of the perks to this job is that we really get to see a lot of the world and a lot of different people who are in it. I think that the more you see when you travel, the more you realize that there is so much more to the world and so many more cultures. You really get out of your own safe world, your safety blanket and see the world.
• MPJ -Let's talk about your lyrics?
• JESSE -I even say this on stage repeatedly to the crowds, the more I experience and the more people I am exposed to, from state to state or even country to country, people really go through the same types of things through life. You go through the heartaches, you go through the addictions, and you go through the financial struggles, you going through the feelings of loss in what to do with your life. I think everybody goes through that stuff. What I do is that I like to write about what is personal and close to me in detail of what I have experienced or have witnessed but close to me, but write in detail and never say what it is. It's like describing an object and never telling you what it was. Then people can really dig in but if I told you that it was about a rock, then you would be Oh, it's a rock every time you hear the song, but if I didn't say anything, it leaves you with the mystery to it but also gives you room to dig into it and give it your own meaning to it. I don't like giving in to blatantly obvious lyrics. Like if you have a bad relationship, please don't just say "I hate everything about you." It seems like that we are in a state of music right now that people are so straight forward that it's mind boggling. It is so easy to fall into that. I don't mean to put anyone down; there is a lot of good music out there right now. However, in the masses of the mainstream of music right now, it seems so saturated with the entertainment value of it and materialism of it. They are more concern with how they are going to sell their product than what they are actually selling. It's like making a commercial for a crappy product and make it look great
• MPJ -It's good to hear that you care more about what you're writing, relating to real issues and people.
• JESSE -Yeah, I'm not trying to write about alien abductions or really crazy stuff. I personally have not struggled with drugs but I have had friends and family who have fallen into that whole thing. To watch that type of thing from the outside in on something like that, and to critique what they are going though. It's a really powerful vibe to watch a person go up and down, and people respond differently to things.
• MPJ -What is your biggest influence?
• JESSE -I will let you in on a little secret, I get a lot my inspiration from my father. He is an artist; he writes a lot of poetry. Even before I ever thought of being a singer. I was in college studying Art. And it all just happened so fast. I look at the songs as poetry, at take that approach. As for the music part, I am all over. I like Bjork, Radiohead, American Headcharger. I look to emotion and what emotions that I am going through, and how the different emotions will fit the song. We try to write that way too: collectic. Instead of one sound the whole way through; we write one song heavy and the next acoustically, having diversity with peaks and valley's.
• MPJ -What do you currently have in your CD player or MP3/Ipod player right now?
• JESSE -Yeah, the only reason that I have an MP3 Player is because we are on tour and a CD holder can only hold 100 CDs, where the CD can get scratched, you loose them, etc... But I am still Old school of going out and buying the albums, and them adding them to my MP3 player. As for what I'm listening to, the new Fiona Apple, "Extraordinary Machine" and Foo Fighters "One by One."
• MPJ -If you could take as much time as you wanted and could go anywhere in the world, where would it be?
• JESSE -: Me personally as an artist, I want to go all over Europe and see all the Renaissance Art. I would love to see the David's, the Sestina Chapel, I mean the entire different artists that are part of the Renaissance Era. It's something that I have been studying them since middle school, not to mention that all those artist were amazing artist. I think that it's amazing that those art pieces have lasted hundreds and hundreds of years. My dad went to school in Germany and studied the renaissance types of art over there. I just think that I would love the culture of that all over there. I think that we will make it over that way on the Korn tour, so hopefully I will make my way over there.
• MPJ -Yeah, it's nice over there. I went all over Europe with my family when I was younger.
• JESSE -: I have only been to Canada a 2-3 times and walked across the boarder into Mexico. We were in El Paso and literally on foot and ate at a bar over there, so we could say that we have been to Mexico. A couple of my band mates and 3 of our tech guys went over to eat. The food in a different country is so different. Like Taco Bell is so different that authentic Mexican food.
• MPJ -Yeah, RIGHT! Of course!!
• JESSE -One of the guys and I decided to go back over, while the other guys decided to go on into a "gentlemen's club" just because they could go into a Mexican strip club, even though they didn't speak the language. Well, one of the guys, who was just drinking soda opened up a tab, and didn't know that the strippers in Mexico can add on to your tab. The girls would keep coming over to them, to dance, and nod. The guys would nod back, and each time, they were adding the strippers tip to their tab. So he ran up like this $180 tab. It was pretty funny.
• MPJ -What is one of the craziest things that have happened to you guys on tour?
• JESSE -We were on tour with Breaking Benjamin and Smile Empty Soul. Our bass player, Louis and their (Smile Empty Soul's) singer Sean were in a cab, coming back from going out to a bar and their cab was shot at, literally. They saw the flashes of light, and Louis thought that it was fireworks going off. Sean pulled him down as the bullets were hitting the cab. The cab crashed into a parked car and they had to literally jump out of the car, and they ran into a gas station and called the police. No one was injured though.
• MPJ -What about the cab driver?
• JESSE -No, he seemed fine, but when they were getting ready to leave, the police got there and arrested the taxi driver. They thought that it might be drug deal gone bad or something? Yeah, that was a crazy story of our bass player being shot at!
• MPJ -Yeah it is! On another note, do you have any tattoos?
• JESSE -None. The only reason that I don't have any tattoos, although I am highly intrigued by them, but being that I am an artist, I am really picky about them, the art work and who the artist is who will be doing the tattoo on me. If I were going to get a tattoo, I would spend top dollar on it. I don't think that going to a place that gives you the "bargain deal" on the tattoo. Another thing that concerns me is the permanency of the tattoo, like it's there until you die. Unless you get it remove; but I've seen where people have them removed, and where it leaves like a pigment/burnt mark/scar, where some of the removal look ok, but it seems like you made a bad decision and had to correct it. I really like tattoos, and am intrigued by them, but it's taken me a long time to get one. You should check out this website: www.at.kirkalley.com. He is am amazing tattoo artist. He's out of LA and he's by appointment only, like you can't even just walk into his shop. He's got such a good reputation, so he's booked up for almost a year in advanced. But check out his site, and you'll see why. He's amazing with color and uses only the best ink. His work ends up looking like paintings. Paul Booth is also really good. He does a lot of black and white inks, with skulls n' stuff. He's not my thing, but he's also really good. I had actually thought about doing a tattoo on my back ,of a painting that my father did but I decided that I didn't know if I really wanted to go that route. Another thought I had was to do go somewhere different and do something I hadn't seen before and do just words and no pictures; poetry words and phrases.
• MPJ -That would be cool.
• JESSE -Yeah, I haven't decided yet. I did however recently buy my younger brother his first tattoo.
• MPJ -Oh yeah?
• JESSE -Well he was going to do it regardless and he's my little brother and he looks up to me. I try to set good examples on him, but without going overboard.
• MPJ -What did he end up getting?
• JESSE -My dad draws on these little index cards. He'll just uses pens or faded markers and sharpies and make them look like a canvas. Or he'll do line drawing that look really cool and are easily adapted into tattoos. My dad has thousands and thousands of these index cards in like a Rolodex type thing, and he has all these tattoo arts that he doesn't even realized that he created. Our parents are weird about the art, like when it comes to tattoos. I come from a religious family, where tattoos are against the religion because they see it as your scarring your body, and your body is your sacred temple and your not suppose to alter it. So they aren't really into it. Honestly, I have my own religious believes and I think religion could help some people. However I think that it's been saturated with rules and it's almost to politics right now.
• MPJ -Yeah. I was raised Jewish, and we were not allowed to get Tattoos either, although I have them. My parents also sent me to a private school that happened to be Christian, and the rules there were way strict.
• JESSE -Yeah, I find out that the more rules that you put on teenagers, the more likely it will turn into rebellion. I do not have children of my own, but my older sister does. I'm an uncle of a 12yr old niece, 8yr old nephew, and a 5yr niece and I try to set good examples on them. I try not to judge, I think that it is easy to judge from the outside when your not a parent, you alienate them and they will rebel.
• MPJ -Yeah, a lot of the kids I went to school with definitely rebelled too.
• JESSE -Yeah, Private school is usually the number one place where they rebel. Where public schools at least it's a slow place where you can desensitize them to the real world. You can't shelter them for life. Our parents were really good. I was a pretty good. I think the worst thing that happened was that I ended up in the hospital for liquor, but I learned my lesson.
• MPJ -Right, but then I had a friend that her parents didn't do anything and she ended up in drugs where you couldn't do anything for her.
• JESSE -Yeah, I had a friend like that who I had all the way through high school with. I've never seen anyone treat his or her parents the way he treated his. And there is a line where you have to discipline your kid. You let them get away with so much, as you are trying so had to have a happy medium. But you let your kids tell you what to do, and you let them, there is a problem. This one guy was a good friend of mine; I used to skateboard with him a lot. They ended up sending him to one of those school/camp things, and he came out of it, learning a lot of respect for his mother. He's about my age of 25 or so... However, he slowly got back into the drugs again, and he got deeper and deeper into it, where he started selling them. Alcohol or Marijuana I think is OK?
• MPJ -I don't quite get why people do drugs?
• JESSE -Yeah, I have never smoked Marijuana in my life. The only reason I say that I think it's alright, there are a lot worst drugs people can do, and I have seen worst thing people have done when they are just drunk, like black out and wreck a car and kill somebody.
• MPJ -Exactly!
• JESSE -My friend got back into doing drugs, then selling them, which you should never do. Then, he started into pills, which my personal opinion is worst than heroin and cocaine. They are so conceivable. They are so easy to get, like from a doctor's prescription and people think that they are safe because they are from a doctor. I have had family members go down because of them. I had a lady, who I pretty much feel like she was my aunt, she was my mom's best friend and she helped raised me since I was born. She was like 48 or 50. Randomly, the doctor gave her pills in her 40's and she took them, and it ended up killer herself. Like its not just something going on in the teenage culture, or even the 20-somethings. It's going on in older adults as well. And the guy that I was originally talking about, he just recently died. He was like one of my best friends, but he got so caught up in it and something went wrong somewhere and it was drugs. "Wasteland" was actually something that came from all this, where the struggles they go through. If you read the lyrics, you will know that it's about addiction and substance abuse, but it's about someone who is not trying to hide it, like doing it on purpose, as an indirect cry out for help. It's about someone I was close to me that I wrote about, but I will never say the name however I gladly will talk on what it's about. The more I travel, the more I realize that people can relate to an addiction, whether it's drugs or relationships or financial or just finding yourself. It's just a struggle in general
• MPJ -Well, thank you for sharing those stories and thank you for this interview.
• JESSE -Thank You.

• MPJ -Your current tour is winding down...
• MATT -Yes, about 2 weeks left.
• MPJ -How has that been going? Fun?
• MATT -Yeah, it's been great. Can't complain about an arena tour.
• MPJ -Has it been exhusting though?
• MATT -Yeah, like any tour. We have had some really long drives, where it has gone into our days off. We just came out of a stretch of the tour like that, so the rest of the tour should be more down hill from there. It's been a pretty good schedule.
• MPJ -And what is next after this tour?
• MATT -We will be doing a week worth of radio dates that go into May. We are looking into scheduling more dates after that, but nothing is conclusive yet.
• MPJ -And is it too early to talk about a new album?
• MATT -Well, we are obviously going to do another album. There are lots of different opinions about the next album and a lot of different forces at work.
• MPJ -How in the past have you done your writing process? Is there a lot to prepare ahead of time?
• MATT -Well, we all live in different parts of the country. So, getting together is an undertaking. We have to find an area where we can all go. Then there is our gear and shipping it there. I believe that on our last record, we spent something like $20,000 on shipping alone to get our gear there. The last 2 albums, we spent 4 months writing them. We just jam and play and through out new ideas. There is no real set formula for writing for us. It's more about being discipled and keeping a good schedule.
• MPJ -I've read somewhere that Chad separates himself from music for 3-4 weeks before you go in to write so it won't influence him at all, does that carry through to the rest of you?
• MATT -Everyone has thier own way of writing. I'm a big music fan. I'm always listening to music.
• MPJ -You're not afraid or see where it influences you?
• MATT -How do you draw a line between how your environment influences you or not? I don't know how to define that? I don't really see how listening to Mers Bo or Steve Merch can literally effect the music that I am making. I'm really not concern about that aspect. I have my own approach to the way I write, and over a decade of writing, it's pretty solid process that I go through. If the music that I'm listening to at that time influences me, that does not bother me in anyway. I'm not afraid of that. It really not anything that is on my mind at that time or that I am trying to control.
• MPJ -Right. Speaking of influences and music, what albums are you currently listening to?
• MATT -I've been listening to a lot of Plaid, The Headfire Camp Phase from the Ports of Canada, Tipper, Polla, Hotdeacks new one, "Untilted", King Crimson, but that's always ongoing in my collection.. Bjork's new soundtrack for the new Matthew Barney's movie ("No Restraint"). I'm not sure if that one is released yet, but the San Fransisco MOMA has an exhibit coming up on Matthew Barney, so I am sure they will be playing that there. I believe that Bjork's new soundtrack just came out, called "Drawing Restraint 9."
• MPJ -Cool. Now Congratulations on the Grammy Nomination.
• MATT -Pretty amazing, huh?
• MPJ -Yeah, your win next time!!!
• MATT -Oh I don't care.
• MPJ -I figured that.
• MATT -Yeah, being nominated is what matters. If you're nominated, you're a winner. We all collaterally from Ministry to Rammestien we all felt that each band in their own rite deserved it.
• MPJ -Yeah, I agree with you 100%. Remembering back to the 2001 MTV Music Awards, when you guys won the MTV2 award, during your speech, you came across that.. Well I would really say that you were for or against music awards?
• MATT -Yeah, it's kind of an oxymoron as far as I'm concerned.
• MPJ -None the less, Congratulation on the Grammy nomination.
• MATT -Thank you. Yeah, it was cool. It's great to be recognized by your peer group, which makes up a large percent of that, and there is nothing wrong with that.
• MPJ -Now jumping back a few years, because I was curious about this, on your "The End Of All Things To Come" DVD, you have Hebrew on the cover?
• MATT -Yeah, with most of the ancient linguistics of Egyptian, Greek and Hebrew included had a numeric system. Their alphabet was more than just a device for communicating words. In the spoken language, it is also a numeric system as well, so in that sense it's a cipher so to speak. It was useful to be able to communicate in a non-verbal sense with a language.
• MPJ -And so that was why you had it in the album?
• MATT -Yeah, it can be translated into Coptic and translated into Greek
• MPJ -Yeah, thought that it looked cool. Does it mean something then?
• MATT -Absolutely. That's what I'm saying to you. It is a communication in a non-verbal sense, but not literary. Because you can use an alphabet, the nature in these ancient languages, you can use them in a non-literary sense to communicate.
• MPJ -So, is there a way to translate it?
• MATT -Yeah, Of course.
• MPJ -Where would be a good place to start to look into finding out what it means then?
• MATT -Well, obviously you have an interest is strong, because you asked why is it Hebrew, then why not start there? The Hebrew language is at the source of western mystic tradition, so in a certain sense opposed to Egyptian, Coptic or even Arabic, the Hebrew language it's self is a gift to the west. It's at the root of the Ancient Esoteric Christianity or even Cruisism. I enjoy Zenism.
• MPJ -Ok. And we spoke before about how you like to read, Is there currently any books that you are reading?
• MATT -You know, I have gone through a long period of years n' years n' years, around ten years, of read almost only non-fiction. Last year or so, I was getting spun out and decided to have fun read novels and stuff. I started reading more staple books like Sallanger, Catcher in the Rye and books like that. From there, I started picking up some sci-fi stuff. I went through a big Steven King phase; I still read some of his off and on. I read the whole Hannibal Lector trilogy. I read the DaVinci Code last year, along with Angels and Demons. Learning about the movie is kinda funny.
• MPJ -Do you have the Deception Point then too?
• MATT -I have that one at home, but haven't read it yet. I will eventually. It's been really fun to be able to kick loose and read for the fun of it. Right now, I'm just reading comics. I'm not really doing any books right now. I do have some out with me, I will probably get back into Steven King..I've been reading the books that are part of the Gunslinger series with "The Stand," "Salem's Lot" and "King's Rights", and that's actually the latest stuff I just got back into. I'm going to be reading a lot of Sci-Fi/Fantasy books, but I'm waiting for the second of the three Steven R. Donalson's "Thomas Covenant" books to come out so I can at least read a couple. I've been collecting books to put aside that I'm going to go back into.
• MPJ -If you could take time and go any place in the world...
• MATT -Home.
• MPJ -Ok, besides home or if you can take home with you...
• MATT -Well, before I started touring, I had been all over the country. I used to do a lot of driving when I was younger and take 5day/week long times and drive to the west coast or drive to Florida and make stops along the way. I have always wanted to go to Alaska, which is somewhere we will probably never tour, or Hawaii, which is another place we will probably never play.
• MPJ -And talking of touring, what is one of the crazier stories that have happen to you when you were on tour?
• MATT -We get asked this question a lot... You know, touring is a lot of hard work, and people have a perception of it being parties and craziness, like Motley Crue 1986, but it's not. We keep a rigorous schedule, there is a lot of driving, there is a lot of down time, and there is a lot of hurrying up to just wait time. There are more weird things that happen and those times come when we are trying to check out of a hotel and something crazy is going on around you. When you travel as much as we do, any profession that has that much travel I'm sure it's the same, you are in a lot of random environments and you see a lot of weird things per chance.
• MPJ -Can you share one of those stories?
• MATT -I think that it was the Summer Sanitarium tour, summer of 2003, and we played St Louis. My uncle had driven up from down south to spend the afternoon with me and to see the show. He was meeting me at my hotel room and we were going to go out to lunch. There was this dude standing up on the roof of the hotel I was staying in; he was lying on this concrete embankment thing that was like 3ft wide. The fire trunks, emergency vehicles and police were just showing up as I was just trying to leave and get lunch with my uncle. The guy was like 12 stories up and his leg and arm was hanging over and they were afraid that he was going to jump. Something like he forgot to take his medication. You just never know what you are going to see walking down the street. There was a lot of chaos around and they blocked off the whole section of the block near the hotel... I was trying to get back into the hotel and couldn't. It was just one random afternoon.
• MPJ -Thank you for sharing your story and for doing this interview.
• MATT -Thank you.

• MPJ -Your new album titled "HOME" will be coming out April 18th, Can you tell us a little about the writing process that took place for this album?


• FRANK -We wrote most of the material about 8 months before we went into the studio. We had about 15 - 16 potential songs written and ready to go. We then decided to rent a space, where we could create more inspiration, at least that is what I think was the main reason. So, we rented a really small church, a chapel if you will, in the south of Holland. We recorded most of it there, except the vocals, and most of it was recorded live
• MPJ -Nice, so you were able to capture that energy of playing live that way.
• FRANK -Exactly. That was the main reason that we did it that way. The vocals were done later at our producer's own studio in Amsterdam.
• MPJ -I hear that the new album has more of a "rock" vibe going on then that last album, "Souvenir"?
• FRANK -Well, it's more up-tempo vibe. I prefer to refer to it more that way. It's not like all of a sudden "Rock-n-roll." It's very atmospheric, emotional music.
• MPJ -Now that album is coming out in the States, being distributed through The End Records, and in Europe through Sanctuary Records?
• FRANK -Yeah, Sanctuary in Europe. Sanctuary is probably like one of the largest conglomerate record label over there. There is a lot of stuff going on there.
• MPJ -Now they are just distributing your records, but the album is actually on your own label, Psychonaut Records, correct?
• FRANK -Right. They handle the licensing, distribution and promotion of the album. Our own label, Psychonaut Records are way too small for that.
• MPJ -With that type of deal, it gives you the freedom to do your own thing though...
• FRANK -Well, Yeah. Artist deals, that we had in the past with like Century Media, or totally out of fashion. Not too many Modern Rock do Artist deals any more. Bands tend to start their own label or sign to a smaller label and then license it to a larger label. I think it's better construction, because if you have an Artist deal, they are going to nail you to make you do things that you don't want to do. But without an Artist deal, like you said, you have total freedom over everything you do in actuality.
• MPJ -The End Records has posted a sample of your song, "Shortest Day" Will this be the first release?
• FRANK -Yes, I believe so. It is the first song on the album, and I think that it's a good song to represent the whole album. I don't believe that we are going to have an official single, we are not that kind of band.
• MPJ -Right!
• FRANK -I also of course depend on how things go with the record. If it does well, we might decide to do one anyway but no plans right now. Sanctuary Records also has samples of "Shortest Day."
• MPJ -Did you guys choose "Shortest Day" to be sampled?
• FRANK -Yes.
• MPJ -Recently, You guys kicked off your "Homeland World Tour?"
• FRANK -Yes. That was a little over 2 weeks ago in South America.
• MPJ -How has the tour been going? I heard you had bus troubles a few nights ago in Atlanta, GA?
• FRANK -Yeah. After the Austin show, we were heading up to Atlanta, and we were 2-3 hours into the drive and we had troubles with our bus.
• MPJ -Oh no.
• FRANK -Yeah. We had to stop and get it fixed and so we lost a day on the tour.
• MPJ -Outside that, how has the tour been going?
• FRANK -Good. We played in Springfield, VA, just outside Washington DC. last night. It's been really good.
• MPJ -You only have a few dates here in North America and they are ending soon... Any plans in the works for returning soon?
• FRANK -No. Not really. Touring here is much difficult than in Europe. The drives between cities are much longer. Not that we don't enjoy touring here. It's really nice here, but on the more practical side of things, it's more difficult. Like we started in Wako TX and then after the bus, we had to drive to Springfield, VA and the ride was like 22hrs.
• MPJ -Yeah! That is rough!!!!
• FRANK -Yeah, it's long.
• MPJ -You guys have to add more cities and dates in between!
• FRANK -Yeah, that would take 2 months! It's hard because we want to play a good show and give each show 200% and the long rides make it difficult. When we tour in Europe, the longest rides between cities are 6hrs. Even last night it took 16hrs to get from Springfield to here. We got caught in traffic in NYC for like 30 blocks.
• MPJ -Yeah, you could get out of the car and run faster than you can drive!!
• FRANK -Exactly!!
• MPJ -On a more positive note, you guys won the Edison Award, which I heard is similar to the Grammy Awards here in the States, for "Best National Music DVD" for "A Sound Relief."
• FRANK -Yes, it is a big achievement in Holland.
• MPJ -Now that was the 2 disc DVD that was record live in Amsterdam, right?
• FRANK -Correct. One DVD contains the concert and the other DVD contacts facts about us, we filmed us on tour in 2004, and there are photographs. It's about 35mins long.
• MPJ -Yeah, We bought it. It's pretty cool.
• FRANK -Did you register your copy?
• MPJ -No, we never got around to do that. I saw something about getting extra stuff if you do register it though?
• FRANK -: Yes. If you register you can get the soundtrack and a few other extras too.
• MPJ -Century Media re-released CD for their 15th anniversary, and your band was listed to have one of these re-releases with new art work and liner notes? Did you guys participate in that?
• FRANK -Yes. We weren't really happy about it, but they were going to do it because they own the rights to it for the rest of our lives. The law gives them that right. Did you know that this is the only country that does that? No other country can own a musician's work for their entire life? After 10 years, you can gain your rights back, but here they own the rights. So, they told us that they were going to do it, regardless if we wanted to or not, so they asked if we wanted to participate or not. We wanted to make it as nice as possible, it still has our name on it, our fans still are buying it. So, we made liner notes and notes for the B-side accessories that go along with it. We did try to help them including helping with the artwork for it. It really was all that we could do. Of course we will get the royalties back on it, but they were going to do it anyway. So we decided to make the best out of it.
• MPJ -So what would be your advice for upcoming bands that might go through something like this?
• FRANK -Never sign and Artist Deal. Just start your own label and try to get a licensing deal! Obviously it's easier said than done.
• MPJ -But it the long run, it's worth it!?
• FRANK -I think so. Times are changing and more bands are going in that direction.
• MPJ -Yes they are. Is there anything that you would like to say to your fans at this time?
• FRANK -Just to keep searching for good music. There are plenty of it still around. Just enjoy it and stay cool.
• MPJ -Thank you very much for doing this interview.
• FRANK -Thank you.

• MPJ -There is four days left with your tour with In Flames. How has the tour been going?
• PAOLO -It was fricken awesome!
• MPJ -It sounds like you were looking forward to this tour.
• PAOLO -Yeah I was! All the bands are great!
• MPJ -And when this tour wraps up, I understand your headindling overseas to sold out shows.
• PAOLO -Yep! We will be pretty much all over Europe!
• MPJ - And I just heard about your upcoming tour with Iron Maiden in November?
• PAOLO -YYeah! This is going to be our first tour with Iron Maiden, they were on Ozzfest's bill, but I don't really consider that to be a tour because it was a big festival. This tour is in Europe and is just going to be us and Iron Maiden. So that should be pretty exciting!
• MPJ -Have you gotten a chance to meet the guys from Iron Maiden?
• PAOLO -I've gotten a chance to meet some of them, and I think that Bruce Dickinson is bringing his kids up for a show in London. His kids are all fans of ours.
• MPJ -Do you know how old his kids are?
• PAOLO -I'm not too sure. I know some of them are younger, and I think some of them have kids that are our age, too.
• MPJ -Cool! That'll be nice to have some other kids your own age to hang out with.
• PAOLO -It should definitely be fun!
• MPJ -Now, after this tour, Trivium will be heading over to Europe?
• PAOLO -Yep! And all over the UK! The tour is completely sold out, too!
• MPJ -Wow!! That's awesome!!
• PAOLO -It's our biggest headlining tour yet, and our second in the UK.
• MPJ -And you will be going out with God Forbid and Bloodsimple.
• PAOLO -Yep! God Forbid, Bloodsimple... Actually, God Forbid and a band called Mendeed, a Scottish band, who will be supporting us half way through; then Bloodsimple takes their place from March 15th on.
• MPJ -Oh cool!! Are you looking forward to touring with Bloodsimple?
• PAOLO -Yeah! It should be fun! We have met one or two of the guys from the band, but we've never seen them perform.
• MPJ -Bloodsimple is a great band! Their actually on Chad Gray's (of Mudvayne) record label. We did an interview with them not too long ago; they are pretty cool guys.
• PAOLO -Thats cool!
• MPJ -You are also on Sounds of the Undergrounds bill this year with Cannibal Corpse, Gwar, Behemoth...
• PAOLO -Correct! As I Lay Dying, In Flames, and us are headlining the tour, and then a good number of other bands are playing. There are going to be less bands this year, but longer sets. So that'll be better!
• MPJ -You might not know the exact dates yet, but do you know the time frame that the tour will be taking place?
• PAOLO -July to August. The tour is starting a little later this year, I think.
• MPJ -Yeah I think so, too. With all the tours/festivals coming up, are there any bands you are looking forward to playing with that you haven't played with before?
• PAOLO -Actually, this summer we are doing a few festivals with Metallica, and a few with Guns N Roses.
• MPJ -In June and July, right?
• PAOLO -Right!
• MPJ -I also heard you guys were big fans of Metallica.
• PAOLO - It's like our favorite band!
• MPJ -Have you ever met any of them?
• PAOLO -No, I've never met them, and never even seen them live
• MPJ -Really?
• PAOLO -Really. I've missed them live every time they've come through.
• MPJ -Wow! So it's probably pretty exciting to finally get to see them, meet them, and better yet, go on tour with them!
• PAOLO -Yeah, it's pretty amazing! We are actually only a few spots down from them on the main stage.
• MPJ -Oh! That'll be cool! Now, I've heard talk about a new album. Can you fill us in a little bit?
• PAOLO -Sure! We are recording in April/May, and then the album will be released in the Fall.
• MPJ -How is the writing process going so far?
• PAOLO -Everything is pretty much written, we just have to jam after the UK tour and then start the recording process.
• MPJ -Is there anything you did differently this time around?
• PAOLO -Yeah, there's a lot. The sound is going to be thrashy Megadeth-style stuff, a lot more technical stuff, but then there's also a lot more straight up Rock- Motley Crue style and type of stuff.
• MPJ -Did you do any experimentation with your music at all?
• PAOLO -Well, the last CD was written over a longer time, and this one we really focused and we played a lot of what we really like, so I think that's just all coming out. And the main scene now is really going to be aggressive, like Metallica and Testament style.
• MPJ -In Europe you do really well as you also have an influenced European sound. The bands you mention are American Metal, do you think that style and influence will still go well with your fans over there?
• PAOLO -Yeah, we've got a pretty good influence from both sides, ya know? I mean, we have influences from Metallica and a lot of American thrash bands and all that.
• MPJ -Yeah, a lot of older American metal stuff?
• PAOLO -Yeah, a lot of older stuff, and a lot of European stuff as well. I mean, it's all pretty mixed together. I mean, all these bands influence each other, and in Europe, people appreciate metal for metal, ya know?
• MPJ -Yeah, definetly! And Trivium is accomplishing so much, especially for being such a young group of guys, for example, the Underworld: Evolution soundtrack, MTV2 Headbangers Ball, and Ozzfests 10th Anniversery CD/DVD.
• PAOLO -Yeah. Well Roadrunner Records is really good at getting their bands on these kind of things!
• MPJ -Sounds like it! And being so young, how was it going on the road for the first time?
• PAOLO -Well, it was cool. We were in a van, and it was a lot rougher then. We had to drive ourselves, and it was so long, we had to take turns driving. We also had to manage ourselves, but all in all it was a great experience.
• MPJ -Well, it sounds like you had fun still!
• PAOLO -Yeah. It was fun and it's definitely a different lifestyle. But now that we are able to travel in a nicer bus, we are just going to keep doing that.
• MPJ -Definitely! Continuing on another subject- what do you think sets you apart from all the other metal bands out there?
• PAOLO -What sets us apart the most is our dual guitar soloing. A lot of bands don't really go into that. Some bands are starting to throw it into some of their songs now more than they have before, but we've always been doing that, we've always been playing like that. Actually, what really sets us apart is that we are really trying to bring back a good, live show, ya know, I mean, we haven't been able to do a full headlining tour of the U.S. yet, but we are really looking forward eventually in the future. We want to show people what Trivium is about.
• MPJ -Do you have any plans for that yet?
• PAOLO -It could be after Sounds of the Underground, but we aren't sure. We might be jumping onto a bigger support tour, but we're not too sure yet. We could do one now, but we want to wait.
• MPJ -Well, you have several great opportunities now, so your smart to take advantage of that.
• PAOLO -Exactly.
• MPJ -How do you feel about the different movements in metal music?
• PAOLO -- I think its cool, I think it kept people into heavier music and stuff, and more into metal. I mean, I'm not really into the whole genre-crossing stuff, but its cool. If people are into it, they're into it.
• MPJ -Exactly. When you turn on the radio, the songs are starting to sound exactly the same, ya know?
• PAOLO -Yeah, but it comes with anything when something gets popular, then a lot of bands are doing it.
• MPJ -Right; you guys are definitely trying to get away from that.
• PAOLO -Exactly. The next CD will be the biggest step away from it, too
• MPJ -Yeah and alot of people will follow that; the people will hear your music and be like 'wow, they're different! that's awesome!
• PAOLO -Definitely, that's good that people would want to follow our music.
• MPJ -Of course! Why wouldn't they, ya know? Now, getting into when you were younger- what did you play when you first started learning the guitar?
• PAOLO -Covers and stuff.
• MPJ -Who did you look up to? Who did you want to be like?
• PAOLO -Metallica! Metallica and live videos and stuff. Most things like that!
• MPJ -That just about wraps this up for us, is there anything you'd like to say to your fans?
• PAOLO -Yeah! Come see us live if you haven't seen us before.
• MPJ -Right on. Thanks for doing this interview with us!!
• PAOLO -Thank you.

• MPJ -You are now endorsed by ESP and Spaun; how are the new axes and drum kit holding up to your nightly assault.
• NERGAL -Yeah we're now sponsored by ESP and Spaun; The guitars are some of the best in the world and its great we get to use them. I mean they are not custom yet like Infernos drum set but they are great. Having a new guitar you get new inspiration just from how it feels and plays.
• MPJ -How has the tour with the Danzig been so far??
• NERGAL -The Tour has been great so far; we are reaching out to new areas and new audiences. This is the first time here in Buffalo so the crowd doesn't know all our songs yet. Next time we hit here I'm sure it will be much more enjoyable.
• MPJ -Yeah when we caught you at the Saratoga Winners twice; the first time was great but the second time the crowd went crazy throwin' up the horns and chanting "Praise the Flames".
• NERGAL -Yeah, that's what I love and its working we are reaching out to new fans.
• MPJ -With the success of the Demigod release and the numerous tours to follow, have you been able to write any new musick.
• NERGAL -Nope, have not written a thing. I like to wait for the inspiration and that moment to come; and when it comes you know. So were just focusing on Demigod and the support of that right now.
• MPJ -Where does your inspiration come from when writing musick; I believe your long time friend Kristoffer co-writes the lyrics with you.
• NERGAL -Yes he does; We get inspiration from any source available. I just went to Nepal and did some hiking in the Himalayan Mountains and I would guess that the next record might have that kind of mood. I'm not saying we're going to go Christian Metal but there is some cool vibes there that I would like to transform into musick.
• MPJ -One thing I like about Behemoth is that its more than just musick it's about the lyrics and imaginary. Was this done intentionally or did it just evolve naturally over the years.
• NERGAL -Yeah It's all abut the package; I like when people take the time to notice that. When you go to a Behemoth show and check out the cd's you see a link; everywhere there is a link in what we do. I mean we start with great musick and mix in imagery and history; its not just about writing cool riffs it has to be more than that.
• MPJ -Out of all the Behemoth releases which release was the most difficult to complete?
• NERGAL -A few we're difficult but Zos Kia Cultas was the most challenging. Because it was tough in the studio and mean. Demigod wasn't an easy record but it was more we wanted to bring out the best in the band. Zos was just so slow which is why it was so difficult. But as long and it comes out good we are happy. Plus we are getting more noticed with each record so its worth it.
• MPJ -Currently which bands do you still enjoy to listen to and draw inspiration from?
• NERGAL -I cant really cant think of any bands that blow we away I mean I like the more Rock musick not too much extreme metal. There are some good band but there are millions of suck bands also. I like stuff like Izzy Pop and AC/DC. I play Extreme Metal because its my expression of who I am and it comes naturally to me.
• MPJ -Can you sum up in your words what makes Behemoth the true pagan war machine it is today?
• NERGAL -Ah hahahaha I think its because we are such intense people and it come threw in the musick. We are so determined and this is the only way of life I know or want to live.
• MPJ -Thanks for your time and we look forward to catching you on tour again
• NERGAL -Thank you

• MPJ - How did the Re-union of Anthrax take place?
• JOEY - Their management gave me a call, to see if I would be interested in doing it. Of course I was interested, it was something that I always felt that I had never finished. Once I was aboard, the contacted Danny and Frank.
• MPJ - For those who haven't seen the Re-union Anthrax tours yet, what can they expect?
• JOEY - It's a night of good old rock n roll. It's just a good time.
• MPJ - I heard that you guys are exclusively playing songs from '85 - '91? Why is that?
• JOEY - It's all that I know as it was the time frame I was in the band, And what better way to perform but with the songs I help write.
• MPJ - I heard that you guys were playing the songs note for note, without changing it up? Is that still the case?
• JOEY - No we change a few little things here and there, but not anything drastically. The songs are hard enough to play and don't need to go off any more.
• MPJ - Now you guys just released 2 new CD and DVD's - "best of" type albums.
• JOEY - Yes, "Alive 2" which is live recordings and "ANTHROLOGY: NO HIT WONDERS"
• MPJ - How did you guys pick the songs for these albums? Obviously, you would want to pick the "hits' but songs had to be eliminated and how did that process go?
• JOEY - We just sat down and started going through them all. Actually, the DVD "Anthrology: No Hit Wonders" is the all the old videos that we have done. We were sitting there going through it all and we were taped as we going through commenting on each video - "Look at what you did there, ha ha' etc... just having fun. We thought that a DVD of our videos would be a nice collect to release, because some of the videos, people may not have seem them or even know that it existed. They were played way back in the day on old Headbanger's Ball, but they may have missed it.
• MPJ - Speaking of Headbanger's Ball, you guys were recently on there.
• JOEY - Yeah with Jamey of Hatebreed!! It was cool.
• MPJ - And when you were on there, you talked about the "Slave to the Metal Foundation." For those who missed it and do not know about it, can you tell us a little about it?
• JOEY - "Slave to the Metal Foundation" is an organization for awareness for the misuse of heavy metals, including Anthrax. Our American solders were forced to get the Anthrax Vaccine. I think it's wrong. You could have the best airplane mechanic and because he refused to get the Anthrax vaccine, he is discharged from our armed services, when he could still do so much good he could do, but because he refuses something that is untested and unapproved that could harm his body. We have met people who have taken these vaccines and it really messed them up. I think they should be given a right of choice to take or refuse these vaccines.
• MPJ - Yeah, I thought the part of that mentions about the different metals in children's vaccines that they kids need in order to go to school... That's messed up. I was unaware of this until I saw it on your site.
• JOEY - Yeah, this is a whole other part to that foundation.
• MPJ - How did you guys get involved with the foundation?
• JOEY - Our management brought it to our attention. When we heard about it, given the anthrax metal and our name, we felt that we should join forces and give our voice to help support "choice." Our soldiers should have that choice and it's only a matter of time before it trickles down into our own everyday lives and us not having a choice.
• MPJ - Yeah, everything is different since 9/11... Now, back to the band, I know that you guys have been touring now for a few months, being back together, and I know you've been asked about a new album... Tell me, it seems like something must at least been mentioned about taking to the next step and about writing a new album?
• JOEY - You know, I haven't been approached about it at all. I would love to do another album with these guys. A few of the other guys may have talked about it, I don't know. I had not heard anything said or have had anything said to me. We have been taking it day by day. It's like a relationship; you go day by day and see where it leads you. You can't rush into anything, but let it develop. I am still writing music which I have for my own project. But I don't want to push my band on them, nor do I want them to push Anthrax on me. It should be something that develops.
• MPJ - Speaking of that, what is going on with your solo project (Belladonna)?
• JOEY - I do have some stuff written, but I feel strong about doing one thing at a time here. Once again, I look at it like a relationship. How would you feel if you were with this one person, and then started dating another and splitting yourself. I have been in bands with people like that, and they will be here with you one day, and then say sorry I have this other thing with my other band and go off and do that. Then 2 weeks later, they are done with the other band, and you are like what are you dong? Are you here with us or there? I like to focus my energy on one band at a time.
• MPJ - So, it's possible that at some point we should hear something new from your solo project; well, after all the Anthrax part runs course.
• JOEY - Yeah. I have music ready to go, a part 2 to ARTIFACTS. It was ready to go, but when I got the call to go out with Anthrax, it's been on hold. But I write music because it's what I love to do. It's not about money but comes from the heart.
• MPJ - Yeah, music is an expression of who you are.
• JOEY - Yeah. My solo project has a lower budget and I have distribution of those albums through my website. I do the e-mails on the site, I sign the albums. I read the messages left on my guest book.
• MPJ - Your album is on sale on www.joeybelladonna.com, right?
• JOEY - Right.
• MPJ - Cool. Well, Thank you for taking the time to do this interview.

• MPJ - For those who are not familiar with you, tell us a little about yourself and how you formed?
• SKIP - I will go first, since the forming story takes longer. I'm new to the band; I joined the band back in April after a rigorous trial and error session...
• OJ - We formed this band in 2000, in West Virginia with Tony, our old Bass player, Sid and I. We all were in other bands, but just wanted to jam. So we wrote some songs with the drum machine. After doing that for two years, we started playing out a bit because people started hearing the demos. After another two years we started opening up for national bands. From there, we decided it was time to find a drummer. That's where Wolfe comes in. Our drummer actually was a guitar player in a different band, but he started playing drums and immediately became really good at it; we picked him up. We run into the band, Lamb Of God on the Internet. They had heard an MP3 of our music, contacted us, and put us down for a couple shows. They hooked us up with Prosthetic Records, and that was about two years ago. Now we have two albums out, and we just played a really nice show.
• SKIP - Yeah, Locobazooka 2005!
• MPJ - When I came across your name, I wondered how you came up with it? Doesn't it have something to do with a fallen empire?
• OJ - When we were looking for names, I wanted to find something that was synomous with the band itself, as our music is complicated and intricate at times.When I write lyrics I always go through a Thesaurus and look for words to make the lyrics a little bit more interesting; so I looked up the words intricate and complicated and Byzantine is one of the synonyms. I knew of the Byzantine Empire which succeeded the Roman empire. I did some research and no one had ever used the name. It ended up being the best name we came up with; so, we ran with it and luckily it caught on. A lot of people have a hard time saying it.(biz-un-teen)
• MPJ - Yeah, I had a hard time figuring out how to pronounce it, too.
• OJ - Plus we didn't want a name that would lock us into a type or category of music. Like when you hear the name Cannibal Corpse, you're like oh it's death metal. We wanted to leave that part open, and Byzantine leaves a lot to be desired.
• MPJ - What made you decide to play the style of music that you do?
• OJ - I could probably say it in 5 words. Metallica, Slayer, Anthrax, Megedeth, Testament.
• SKIP - And Meshuggah
• OJ - Yeah, Meshuggah too. Yeah, we are a fan of that kind of music.
• SKIP - I listen to more mellow music than I do heavy but when it comes to playing, heavy music for me is very passionate and truthful. Where I have played other styles of music in other bands and I don't feel that I am honest with myself or the person I am. We go on stage and kick ass for a half-hour; I never feel better than when I come off stage after playing with these guys. So, to me, that's what it means. In my teens, I listened to straight death metal. I grew up listening to metal, the Misfits, Metallica; I got that all from my older sister. As I grew older, I found myself drawn to more mellow music. My favorite band of all time is Pink Floyd but I could never see myself stopping playing metal music. It's what I love to play.
• OJ - Yeah, I do it because it's what I know how to play. I went to a guitar school and learned how to play classical and jazz and was never really that good at it. But I feel more comfortable playing metal, and it's what comes naturally to me. You can bring those other aspect into metal, and it makes the music more challenging. It's fun. It's a release. I get to get up there and scream for a half-hour or so, and them come off and relax for the rest of the day.
• MPJ - Your latest album, "And They Shall Take Up Serpents" just came out in July? This is your second full length album. How was the production, witting and recording, different this time around?
• OJ - Our budget was really small on the first album and we didn't have a lot of time either to do what we want. We did know the songs and how exactly they went. So we went in there basically with trial and error. Our producer on both the album was a friend of ours, Aaron Fisher. When we recorded our first album, he had never recorded anything for a national label. So, when we handed it over to him, we wanted to make an album that sounded up to par with the other national acts. So, going into the second album, we had a bigger budget and could really polish things up that we couldn't with the first album. We make the second album more smooth and more punishing. We produced both of are albums with Aaron. It's been really cool to be able to go back in and have the time to fix small thing on this time around. It's been a real educational process for us. We have not had the budget to go to NY and have a big time producer. It's been a real hands on type of project and I think we did a good job. The production sounds full and we are really happy with it.
• MPJ - During the recording of "And They Shall Take Up Serpents," you were followed around with a video camera during the duration of this process for a documentary?
• OJ - Yeah, we met up with a friend of ours back home. He has always wanted to do a documentary on us. So, we thought that it might be cool to document the recording of the album, just for our own purposes. We thought he was just going to come in for a day or two, and we thought we could just put it up on the Internet, but he came in every single day. Then, he came out on the road with us for four or five shows, and we just started gathering all this film. So that's how we came up with the idea of putting out a documentary about us. Our goal is to continue to tour and get our album sales up so we can release this DVD at the end of the year. It has some funny stuff on it. We're not like "Crazy Rock Stars" or anything like that on there. The studio where we recorded in was actually a working daycare center. We took a tour of that, which was pretty funny.
• MPJ - So, the daycare had children around when you were there?
• OJ - During the day, I would go there for pre-production with the producer. It was an L-shaped school, and at the end, the last two rooms are where the studio is. So, you would open the door, and there would be these little 4 - 5yr olds running around and stuff. It was actually cool. We were able to go down into their cafeteria and eat the little kiddy size sandwiches and milk... It was really funny. However, normally we would record during the night, when there were no kids there. We didn't want to disturb them, like when they were trying to sleep.
• MPJ - So, I heard that there was a ghost in the bathroom there? Tell us about this!
• OJ - Oh yeah. Aaron (producer) actually just told me that daycare is around 90-100 yrs old. He said how he always heard noises when he would stay the whole night there. He would hear little footsteps running down the hall. When we were recording, we would be there until 3-4 am, we would go down to go the bathroom and all the lights would be on. We would go back down 1/2 hr later and all the lights would be off... We would be like Shit! And would have to go back down and turn them all back on and they would go right back off. The time that I got scared was we were walking down to the bathroom, and notice papers were off his mother's desk - our producer's mother runs the daycare; so we picked them up. When we looked back up to head to the bathroom, and the door for the little boys room opened up and then slammed shut. I refused to use the bathroom after that. I was so scared. It was the freakiest thing. That was pretty much the pinnacle of that. The light thing was like 3-4 nights that happened. Our produce is used to it because he's mom has been the owner for a few years now, but it freaked us out. I wouldn't use the bathrooms after that.
• MPJ - Did you name it or anything?
• OJ - No. No. We didn't name it or anything. We figured that if we named it, it would come and hang out. We never felt or saw anything down in our end of the building, so we came to the conclusion that the music had scared the ghost away because they never came down to our end. We may go back through all the footage that we shot and see something walking behind us or something. That would be real cool.
• MPJ - Oh that would be freaky! You probably would never set foot back in there.
• OJ - Nah. We are going to have to go record somewhere else; maybe an old-folks home or something. (Everyone laughs)
• MPJ - Oh I don't know. That might be worst for ghost.
• SKIP - Yeah, we want to avoid record with ghost, and the first place we should think of is
• OJ - (laughs) An old folks home?
• SKIP - No a mortuary.
• OJ - Yeah.
• MPJ - Um Ok. That's uuhh cool. So, what else do you have in store for your band? I see that you will be back in MA for the Rock and Shock festival.
• OJ - Yup. We also have a tour coming up; kicking off October 13 with a band called Halo of Locusts. That is a side band of Randy, the vocalist of Lamb Of God. We are going to go out and play a few weeks with them. After that, we really don't know. We are just taking it step by step. Ya know?
• MPJ - Yeah.
• OJ - We did just shoot a video for our new single, "Jeremiad." The guy who shot our DVD also shot our video. We shot it in a funeral home back home.
• MPJ - Huh?
• OJ - (laughs) Yeah, his uncle runs a funeral home back home. He was so cool. He told us to just come on in and we could move the bodies and everything. So they had an old room that they would have the funerals in. I remember that they had empty caskets in the room, and we moved them out and set the drums up where the caskets used to be. We shot the video in one full day. We were in there playing and such, and we could see the embalmer walking by with bodies on the slabs. And they had some old lady in the room across from us, which was open for a wake. It was pretty crazy.
• SKIP - At one point, we had to stop production, because there was a family coming in to bring the clothes in for the lady.
• OJ - Yeah, we didn't want to be too sacrilegious.
• SKIP - Or disrespectful.
• OJ - But when the video comes out, you will know that there was a dead body just behind the camera.
• MPJ - You're just asking for ghost aren't you?
• OJ - Oh Yeah.
• MPJ - OBVIOUSLY!
• OJ - BRING IT ON!!! (laughs) Actually, I never really put the connection there... Everything we do, it involves invoking demons.
• SKIP - It's Metal!! Invoking demons, playing around with ghost in Mortuaries. It's just the metal thing to do.
• MPJ - Well now I can't wait to see the video. I am going to put it on slow play, trying to look all around for ghosts...
• OJ - (Laughs) Yeah. We are actually going to have 2 versions. One that is edited for MTV and one - not edited. When we shot it, they told us that we would have to take parts of it out of there. It's some of the acting, because we had a girl in there committing suicide; then her boyfriend committing suicide after that. It's kind of like a Romeo and Juliet type of thing. They said that we couldn't show the blood. So, on the DVD we will probably put on the unedited version.
• SKIP - Yeah, the director's cut. Donnie Searls, the guy who shot the video, is an absolute visionary. He is a very talented guy. He's has made the best glass of lemonade out of our situation. We had a very low budget and very little time to do it in. He did a stellar job with it. I think obviously you have to play ball with the industry and after this, I think Donnie with be able to put his vision up there as a film director and producer. He is nothing short of brilliant. Hopefully, the unedited version will get to the DVD.
• MPJ - When are you looking to put that out?
• OJ - We really don't know yet. All the footage has been shot, we just need to take the time to edit it and put it all together. We are hoping around Christmas in putting it out, when everyone is looking for presents.
• MPJ - Well, that just about wraps things up for me. Is there anything else you would like to say to your fans?
• OJ - If you haven't picked up the old album, pick it up. If you haven't got the new album yet, pick it up. It should be in all the stores. Keep an eye out for us on the road. And I always end interviews with "Free The Memphis Three" because I am a big supporter of that. Do you know what that means?
• MPJ - No, I can't say that I do.
• SKIP - OH NO! You just opened a can of worms.
• OJ - No I will keep it short, because you probably don't have enough time or space for me to go into all that.
• MPJ - Ok. You have my ear, what is it about?
• OJ - There was basically three boys that were from Arkansas who were metal-heads in a big redneck neighborhood. And they were accused of killing three other kids that were eight years old. They skinned one of the boys alive.
• SKIP - He's really not making this up...
• OJ - No, they really didn't do it. A lot of musicians have gotten behind them. Metallica donated free music towards a documentary made about what happened.
• SKIP - Yeah, they donated "Paradise Lost."
• OJ - Yup, and we all know Metallica doesn't donate free music unless it's a good cause and they are really behind them. Henry Rollins is a big avocate. If you go to www.wm3.org, you can find out more about that. It's insane the shit deal that they got. They are on death row for something they didn't do.
• MPJ - How long ago did this happen?
• SKIP & OJ - '92
• OJ - Yeah, and the three boys were 17 and the boys that died were 8. And the only thing that they had on them was that the one boy confessed, but he has an IQ of like 70, so he is retarded.
• SKIP - He is legally retarded. Now mind you, I'm not as passionate about this as OJ is; I'm more a skeptic. I'm not saying that they did it; I'm not saying that they didn't do it. I was not at the trial. I don't know the circumstances, but from the documentary on it, it really seems like they got a raw deal out of it all. This person who confessed was put into an interrogation room for nine hours and on the transcripts there was only like 40 mins of interrogation. They beat this kid down until he said "yeah, I did it," just to get out of there. The poor guy just wanted to go home.
• MPJ - Wow!
• OJ - Basically at that time, the boys didn't have a really good lawyer, so they were convicted of murder. Right now, a lot of musicians are getting behind them, buying t-shirts and stickers to help support them. Right now, they have enough money to go back in and get the DNA evidence put into the trail.
• MPJ - Wait! They didn't have DNA evidence in the trail?
• SKIP - No. They did not permit DNA evidence, which was ridiculous.
• MPJ - WOW! That's not right!
• OJ - One of the main messed up things - the child that was skinned alive had bite marks on his body. So, they took the dental records of all 3 of the boys.
• SKIP - And that was not permitted in the trail as well.
• OJ - Yeah, and when it came out that they had bite marks, that child's father went and had all his teeth removed.
• SKIP - Watch the documentary.
• MPJ - WOW!! That is really insane!
• OJ - The last song on our album, "Salem Arkansas" is about this. I call it that because, although the trail took place in Arkansas, it reminded me of the Salem Witch Trails.
• MPJ - Yeah, what happened in the 1600's. That shouldn't be going on today. Thank you for this interview.
• SKIP & OJ - Thank you.

• MPJ - You have a new album coming out at the end of this month, "One Nation Underground." Let's talk a little about this. You have released 2 downloadable samples, "What You Deserve" and "This Is War"? Are these a good representation of what the album sounds like? What can we expect to hear on Sept 27th?
• LAZ - You know what, I think the new album is so diverse that it's a demonstration of so many different styles that those songs are a good representation, but not a complete representation of what the album is about. There is a lot more to this album that is a mixture of different styles. I think that we definitely have it right on our third album. A lot of people have been saying that too, which is cool. It's not really a great representation; you need the whole album to get the complete representation, the complete vibe of the record. For me, from beginning to end, it's really a fun album to listen to. You can just dive into these songs, and go on that journey to the very end.
• MPJ - Now you said that this is your third release? I thought you had four?
• LAZ - Oh we did have an independant release that we did ourselves prior to the first record, but it was more of just an EP. A lot of people consider this our first release because it was our first exposure.
• MPJ - Ah, so it was more like a demo to send out to labels and such?
• LAZ - Yeah, it was more like a demo thing. We put it out there ourselves; there were no distributors or anything. We did it ourselves. We took them to record stores and filled the shelves and that's how we got them out there. But this is our third proper release, our third worldwide release.
• MPJ - Ok got it. So, now going into your third album then, what did you do differently?
• LAZ - You know what, you take your experiences with you from the first record and the second record and you want to just pick from the good experiences that you had of making those two records. Therefore, I think that we knew that we had to come through with a combination of both records, but it had to be its own thing. We are a band that doesn't believe in putting out the same record every time.
• MPJ - Right.
• LAZ - We take a lot of pride in that, and we take a lot of pride in sounding original and ourselves. To me, this record has a perfect blend of the first two records and where Ill Nino is at. We wanted to demonstrate more style. Most of us have done other styles of music, and we wanted to incorporate that in this record. We wanted to say "HEY! You don't realize this, but we do this as well. Check it out" In particularly, Dave, our drummer, he has been around for so many years, playing in bands like Pro-Pain and MOD, Lazz Rockett and Gothic Slam and has played in several genres and generations of music. Metal music.
• MPJ - Right.
• LAZ - I think that it's interesting that on this album, we all really pushed him to bring that style back. He's a very humble drummer and to me, he's one of the best drummers out there. He's a phenomenal player and he makes it look easy. He always felt, not down played, but that he wanted to play to cater towards the song and didn't want to over play to take away. He would hold back because he felt that it didn't need it in a particular song. But on this record, we pushed his ass and wanted him to show it. We felt that it was a part of us, and he should show it. He's played for all these years, and we wanted him to do it, but to do it our way, how we do it in this modern day with the whole Latino thing. And it came off. I think that you can through any Latin style on any music.
• MPJ - Nice. Now what else can you tell us about Ill Nino. What makes you stand out?
• LAZ - What makes this band really stand out is we incorporate our cultures, our nationalities, into our music with the different types of music we were exposed to as we were growing up. What makes us different is mix those Latino sound into Metal that we love so much. When we discover Metal music, I believe for everyone in this band, was the point of when we wanted to become players and the reason that we play music today.
• MPJ - Who would you say was your influences then?
• LAZ - That's hard to answer or explain. I've listened to bands from Motley Crue to local bands; the Hardcore bands also played a big part. I love Agnostic Front, The Cro-Mags, Biohazard, Madball. But I also love bands like Maiden, Accept from Germany is one of my favorite bands as well. They were one of the first bands doing the double bass as well.
• MPJ - RIGHT!
• LAZ - I like the pioneering bands as well like Badbrains, Janes Addition I think is a great band. There are just too many to list.
• MPJ - Who was it them that inspired you to pick up the bass then?
• LAZ - It was my very first concert which was Motley Crue, Shout At The Devil. Nikki Stix was just so cool. It was my first concert and I was loving it and I wanted to be more than just a fan, I wanted to be Nikki Stix. (Laughs) It's a true story.
• MPJ - Right.
• LAZ - This brings us to an interesting story. We were in Europe touring, playing at a few festivals a few years back. Nikki was out with Brides Of Destruction then, and we met. He was the coolest. And he told me how his thirteen year old boy would sit in his room for hours learning Ill Nino songs
• MPJ - Oh how funny is that.
• LAZ - I just thought that it was soo cool that I could just look at him and say, I was that thirteen year old boy sitting in my room, learning your songs, wanting to be you. And here I am today, Thank you man!
• MPJ - It came in a full circle. How fun is that!!!
• LAZ - Yeah and we kept running into him too. It's not like we became buddy, but when we would acknowledge each other. And at our show in Italy, he came over to watch the band on the side of the stage. I swear it was like the "Looks That Kill" video, when he puts his devil horns in the air. I was rocking out on stage, and I look over and I see Nikki Stix fuckin' rocking out on the side of the stage. I acknowledge him, he acknowledges me, and then he gives me that Motley Crue devil horn. To me, that was an emotional moment!
• MPJ - Awe Cool!! Have you met his son yet then?
• LAZ - Nah, not yet.
• MPJ - Ah, you have to. Cool story. Thanks for sharing. Now lets see, back to your album. You have shot 2 videos?
• LAZ - Yeah, we did videos for "This is War" and "What You Deserve" But none of them are released yet tho.
• MPJ - Yeah, we were trying to look them up and find out more about them?
• LAZ - Yeah, they debut next week. They are coming out on Headbanger Ball/MTV and Fuse
• MPJ - Why did you guys decided to shoot them both within the same time frame? Was it for the hate of doing videos that you wanted to get them done at once?
• LAZ - - laughs.. nah, we had the opportunity, we were home at the time, and we actually had the time to think things through, unlike the other videos that we did as those were don between tours. What we wanted to do was put out "This Is War" first as it's the lead off track of the record and them put out the other one immediately. Our plan was to come off the gate heavy, to say HEY ILL NINO IS HERE!!! But, importunely, the single went to radio first for "What You Deserve" and it started getting airplay, it was number 1 most added last week.
• MPJ - COOL!
• LAZ - So, it changed releasing "This Is War" video first. The "What You Deserve" video is coming out and eventually the other video will come out.
• MPJ - How was your experience with doing the videos? I've heard that it's a lot of hard work that goes into it?
• LAZ - Actually, when I was younger, before I was doing this, I used to work the pa on music videos. A friend of mine used to produce videos, and another friend would direct it. They did videos for like Biohazard and Onyx. So that was my first experience with music videos. Later on, I promoted music videos. I did that for a couple of years. So I knew what to expect. It's a cool experience. I guess I have a certain attachment to music videos because of this, and I actually enjoy making music videos.
• MPJ - So does the new videos have a concept piece?
• LAZ - Yeah, the "What You Deserve" video has a concept piece. You will have to see it! It's about karma coming back on you and this kid who is a real asshole. He goes around steeling from everyone, his grandmother, and strippers. He would get a lap dance, and steel his money back. (We all laugh). It's about karma and you get what you deserve. In the video, he does his share of bad things and at the end, it comes back to him. All this shit goes down, and we even steel his shoes!!! (We all laugh once again).
• MPJ - Cool. Can't wait to see it. Now, your currently on tour with Disturbed, but soon will be heading out on your own headlining tour. What can your fans expect to hear on the headlining tour? Mainly new material? A mixture?
• LAZ - We definitely will be playing more songs. We will be playing new songs, so it will be an opportunity to hear the new song live. Then, of course our classic songs. It's funny. We did a headlining show last week and a friend of ours, he actually our A&R guy who signed us came out to the show. And he was saying "Wow, to me it sounds like Ill Nino was doing their greatest hits" Now it's like we start weeding out the songs, and play the most popular ones. It's like playing popular song after popular song after popular song, and it doesn't end. The show is on fire. Come out and see us play our "greatest hits".
• MPJ - (all laugh). And eventually you will be weeding out those greatest hits from greatest hits!!!
• LAZ - Exactly!!
• MPJ - Now how long is this tour going to be?
• LAZ - It's actually only a few Northeastern dates. Then we go to Europe for some press shows. Then, in November, we might be going out with Static X or Sevendust or there are other tours in the works as well. Several options, we are just waiting on what comes back.
• MPJ - Cool. Well, thank you for doing this interview with us. Please feel free to use this time to say anything to your fans.
• LAZ - I just want to thank our fans who have stuck with us since the beginning. I know some of you all love the first record more. Some of you loved the second record more. On this record, both fans will be very happy with it.

• MPJ - Tell us, How did Bloodsimple come to be?
• TIM - Bloodsimple came to be... Well, Mike and I, our old band, VOD, came to an end in 2001. Mike and I wanted to start a more upbeat project, even as VOD was tapering off. Once VOD ending, we wanted to do this
• MPJ - Are there any similarities then, between Bloodsimple and VOD then?
• TIM - Well, yeah, I'm still the singer. That sound still carries through. I would say I'm the biggest similarity. VOD had some amazing music and now Bloodsimple has some amazing music.
• MPJ - However, you guys really would like VOD and Bloodsimple to be judged separately, right?
• TIM - Oh Yeah. They are two completely different periods in time. We don't really get that many people who are VOD fans, especially with this current tour with LOA. We do have a lot of Bloodsimple fans coming out though and that is really cool.
• MPJ - Now it's not a big secret that your on Chad Grey's label, Bullygoat Records and that he discovered your band as you had opened up for his band Mudvayne
• TIM - Right.
• MPJ - Can you tell us, is it different having a label boss that is also a musician different than the other labels you have worked with your previous bands?
• TIM - Well, Chad is more the "go-between" for us and the label. It's not so much dealing with him, than it is dealing with the label. But when we need some help and we are out on the road, it's good to have someone that we can talk to who knows the game out here, opposed to most of the people in the industry who don't. It's smooth on both sides. Reprise has been really good to us. Chad has been really good to us; However, Chad has his own thing. He's got Mudvayne; he's got his wife. It's all good. When we have needed him, he's come through for us and that is all you can ask for, Ya know.
• MPJ - Yeah. Now Chad also appears on the "Falling Backwards" song. Was that your idea, his idea? How did that come about?
• TIM - Yeah, that was like common knowledge; we're on the label, so we just had to find the song to have him be on.
• MPJ - How does the song witting process take place with Bloodsimple? Is it an equal collaboration or a main song writer?
• TIM - I wouldn't say it was equal, but I'm not going to name any names here. No it's all good. Mike and I have been writing music together for years. Nothing can change that. But we would work on a part, and Nick would grab a part and, we would build around that and so on... This record was written by a few of us, in front of our computer desk; we all live in different states and had no money to get together. However, the next one will be more organic, as we will all be together in one room. The last one was a little more controlled than what I would have liked it to be. Heavy music needs to be more free flowing and loose.
• MPJ - Where a lot of the songs started when you and Mike started looking for other members to be in Bloodsimple?
• TIM -Yeah. Mike and I had several songs written when we were still in VOD, but there are definitely differences. There are different influences that joined Mike and I, which came to be Bloodsimple, and their influences effect the sound which I believed has help Bloodsimple's sound. Mike and I can only go so far, before we are told HEY!! We are all members of Bloodsimple here. Ya know?
• MPJ - Yeah, Now currently your on tour with Life Of Agony. I hear in October you will be heading out with Soulfly?
• TIM - Yup. It should definitely be cool.
• MPJ - How long is that tour going to be?
• TIM - So far it's 5 - 6 weeks or so? We are going over to Europe in-between for only one day, go figure?
• MPJ - Is it a festival or something?
• TIM - No, It's just a show that they want us to go over to do. It's in the UK. England. Astoria. It's set up through our label mates.
• MPJ - I saw that you are going to be doing a song on the soundtrack for the movie SAW II. How did you get involved with that?
• TIM - That was something Warner Brothers came up with. That's something they do. They get soundtracks for bands to do. It's a great publicity tool.
• MPJ - Do you have anything else new in the works?
• TIM - Yeah, we have new material for the next record, but we still have a lot of touring to do first. The label looks at us as if we just started. We are going to radio soon. It's great. We've never done this, so I would like to see how it will effect the band
• MPJ - Right. Now. I also heard that you will be participating in the ALICE IN CHAINS Tribute Album?
• TIM - Word on the street is that. It's a rumor; there is nothing confirmed yet.
• MPJ - Really?
• TIM - Yeah. I forgot where I heard about it too. But when I did, I called up the powers who be and said, Yeah, you know I'm singing on that right? End of story. I don't think chad would stear me wrong on this. So, it's a rumor yet at least as for Bullygoat's, it's not a confirmed thing yet. But it would be really cool to be part of that. Layne is one heros. I would like to get on one of the tracks that would be cool.
• MPJ - Yeah. Now there was something about you doing something with "Masters Of Horror." What can you tell us about that?
• TIM - Yeah, We got on that as well. It's a lot of stuff in October. It's cool to be apart of it. It's good to open up a thing and see your name among others like Queens Of The Stone Age and Deftones, Marilyn Manson, Shadows Fall, Mudvayne. It's really cool. We never got to that level with VOD. It's a good feeling.
• MPJ - Now there are no tour dates or events yet posted for that?
• TIM - What do you mean?
• MPJ - On the website for Masters Of Horor's soundtrack, there is a link for Tour Dates and events, but nothing was posted there?
• TIM - Oh I don't know if there are any? We haven't been approached yet if there is.
• MPJ - Now we heard that VOD was "re-uniting" for one show
• TIM - I wouldn't call it re-uniting.
• MPJ - What would you call it then?
• TIM - What it is Bloodsimple is playing a show in Long Island. We're giving Brendon and Mike our old drummer and bass player of VOD their first show opening up. Then Mike and I got to thinking, It's Long Island, the boys would be there, so why not get up and jam and just have some fun with it. We are only playing like three songs together. That's where it stops. So I wouldn't call it a re-union. The line-up will be Brendon and Mike's band, then 2 other bands and then Bloodsimple then VOD. It will be something different. Something cool.
• MPJ - Cool. Thank you for the interview. Is there anything that you would like to say to your fans at this time?
• TIM - Thank you for everything, for being so cool. Thank you for coming down to the show early and checking us out, buying our album. Especially all the old VOD fans, for being cool, and not being dicks because VOD fell through, ya know. I think it's cool that you come down and show Bloodsimple the respect that it deserves. That's very cool. Thank you.

• MPJ - Let's talk about the history of 30 Seconds to Mars, I guess this is for Shannon, 30 Seconds To Mars started out with you and your brother, how did this takes place?
• SHANNON - Yeah, we had all different kinds of instruments around the house that we just started to pick up at an early age.
• MPJ - So was your family musical then?
• SHANNON - Yeah, They were musical. We lived in a "hippie" type commune thing, and they listened to a lot of music. So it was a natural progression for us to start doing this. It was just him and I and eventually, we bought some nice equipment and just started playing in his apartment. Then, we wanted to add a bass player. From there, we wanted to share the experience and start playing for people. Then, our first bass player left and Matt came aboard. And he was a perfect fit.
• MPJ - Now Matt, I though you came aboard after the first album?
• MATT - Yeah, the first album was just finished and I came into that touring cycle. That was four years ago.
• SHANNON - And Tomo came aboard a couple years ago to replace our lead guitarist who drowned.
• MPJ - Wait, your first guitarist drowned?
• SHANNON - Yeah, it was this really freak accident thing... but yes, he drowned. Tomo was a fan of the band for a while and we brought him aboard.
• MPJ - Now with all the different styles and types of music out there, what made you guys decided to play the style of music you play?
• MATT - I don't think that it was a conscience decision. I think all four of us come from very diverse musical backgrounds, and we all bring something different to the table. But we all have that kind of dynamic that I think just natural brought us to where we are.
• SHANNON - And I think it's important too, that we keep changing too. The first album I think was more polished and the second is more to the point, more raw, more personable. Jared's more personable I think in the lyrics this time, or more honest as I like to say it. But I think it's important to always be changing.
• MPJ - Yeah, I think that it's good for a band to be able to change, and keep moving forward, especially in this business.
• MATT - Yeah, but it's challenging. You don't want to push your fans away too.
• MPJ - Now would you say that a part of that change was going from the first album being written by two people, Jared and Shannon to going to writing the second album with all four of you?
• SHANNON - Oh, I was welcoming it, welcoming the different musical backgrounds. For instance, Matt has studied music, where I have not. I learned from listening to music. We all influenced by different music, but I think those differences ultimately made the changes natural. Individually, we are all artists and will hold our work "precious," yet we still have a common goal in mind and can work together towards that.
• MPJ - With there being so many different categories and labels put on music these days, what is the one thing that sets 30 Seconds To Mars apart from the different modern rock bands that you hear on the radio?
• MATT - That is a hard question to answer. There are so many different genres out there, and I don't think that we really fit into just one specific
• SHANNON - Yeah, labels are always changing, there's now Ska-Core, emo-rock, etc... and within that a lot of music starts to get watered down
• MATT - And Yeah, I don't think that there is any definitive label that you can put us in and in the long run, I think that is good. It allows for change. I don't mean that our next album might be a ska record, but it allows for change.
• SHANNON - And it works for bands like Radiohead and Placebo. Where they don't really fit into a category and still are allotted for change and it works.
• MPJ - Ok. Now everyone pretty much knows that your singer, Jared is an actor too. How does that affect the band? Like doesn't he have to go away for months at a time when he shoots movies? And how do you, as a band, work with that?
• SHANNON - Let me take this one... With the first records, we toured 18months.
• MPJ - Wow, that was along time on the road. I meant more in writing/recording?
• SHANNON - Even when he goes away, we are still working. We can share and send music files back and forth.
• MATT - Yeah, whether it's file swapping, or working together at home, or sometime, we have been able to go with him, we have never stopped working. We always seem to be able to manage to still be doing something. It's more Jared having to manage his time and his things. Like he might be shooting a movie all day long, and then come back and be writing music all night long. That's more his thing and somehow he manages to balance it. So, as a band, it all seems to work.
• MPJ - Now you guys are doing some headlining shows now.
• MATT - Yeah, we have some radio shows and headlining shows coming up, then at the end of this month, we will hit the road with Audioslave.
• MPJ - Do you have anything else coming up in addition to that?
• MATT - Yeah, we have Carson Daly show (airing Oct 4, 2005) coming up.
• MPJ - I guess what I am getting at, when we saw you guys this summer at the Edge radio show, you were filming the show, was that for something coming up? (see Photo Gallery
• SHANNON - Oh Yeah, was that our secret songs?
• MATT - No, I think they are talking about the DVD. Yeah, we have been collecting footage to eventually have a dvd out, but we don't want to put it out too soon.
• MPJ - Like down the road, a documentary of 4-5years or so.
• MATT - Yeah, we want to do a documentary of our lives over a period of time.
• SHANNON - Yeah. We have had so much footage shot of us. I would hate to be the person to go through that all.
• MPJ - Now Shannon, you mentioned the secret songs? Was I too impatient and missed them on "a Beautiful Lie?"
• SHANNON - Yeah, we have two secret songs that we recorded in Chicago.
• MPJ - Well, I look forward to checking them out. Thank you for taking time for this interview.
• SHANNON & MATT - Thank you.

• MPJ - The Music For Freedom tour kicked off about a week ago, how did the theme of the tour come about?
• EDSEL - We, Mushroomhead and Dope, get a lot of e-mails from soldiers in Iraq all the time, saying that they listen to our music over there. We've always wanted to go over to Iraq and perform, but because of our name (Dope), we have never been taken seriously. The U.S. Government can't really support "Dope" going there to play for the troops. So we figured we would put something together that could at least show our appreciation, while launching our new record and Mushroomhead's new DVD, along with our good friends at Jagermeister who keep us nice and drunk all the time. It's our way of giving something back. Jeffery Nothing is actually the one who came up with this idea, to not just involve the troops, but to make sure they get in free every night.
• MPJ - Have many of the military personnel come to the shows?
• EDSEL - Oh yeah!
• MPJ - And what do they think?
• EDSEL - I don't know, you'll have to ask to them...
• MPJ - So you haven't talked to any of them?
• EDSEL - I've talked to a few of them. They are basically the same guys that we see when we go through town before, who are fans of the band, and who happen to be in the military. For the most part, they seem to be liking it.
• MPJ - Now, the tour kicked off the same day as you new album was released, can you tell us a little bit more about it?
• EDSEL - Sure! It's our new record called "American Apathy", it's a Dope record! Have you heard it?
• MPJ - Yeah, I have. I really liked it. It reminds me of the older "Dope" albums. Now you are the chief song writer, right?
• EDSEL - Yes.
• MPJ - Can you tell me what you did differently this time around from your past albums?
• EDSEL - This one is a little heavier than the last one, on purpose. We wanted to make a record that felt like this band does live. We have a lot of fans that have been around a long time, and have really stuck by us because of our live shows. We didn't want to make a live record, but we wanted to make a new Dope album, that gives our fans the same feeling that they do when they come see us live. So, if you were to see the band tonight, get in your car and put the CD in, and drive down the road you'll say, "Ah! That's the same sound that I heard tonight, and that's why I really like this band!" That is what we set out to do.
• MPJ - How do you capture that live sound in the studio?
• EDSEL - It's not necessarily the sound, as much as it's the song writing aspect; the overall goal was how the music makes you feel. We wrote songs with those grooves, riffs and hooks in mind that are in the songs that we generally pick off our other albums to perform live. We decided to just focus on that part of the band sound.
• MPJ - So you've gotten a good response from your fans so far?
• EDSEL - Yeah! It's seems to be working, I mean, the CD has only been out for a week, but everybody seems to like it!
• BRIX - It's gold!!
• EDSEL - Yeah, it's gold!
• MPJ - What inspires you to write a song?
• EDSEL - I don't think that I can answer this one seriously. I've written so many songs in my life and its something that I'd do, whither it was a living or not. You can take this one! (pointing to Virus)
• VIRUS - It first started out with the chicks; now it's the money...show me the money!! Ha-ha.
• MPJ - You know that's not true! You know you love playing music!
• VIRUS - Do I know that?...Do I?
• MPJ - Yes you do! Edsel, you had your own record label...
• VIRUS - Yeah, when you first started.. what was that story?
• EDSEL - It wasn't really a label; I just didn't want to buy any more albums from Epic, because they stopped selling them at a fair rate. So I started bootlegging all my shit, and called the record company "Eat me, Sue me Records." I took all the songs off my two Epic albums, and sold them at the shows for $10. I'm sure that's not what you are talking about, though; I think you're talking about Recon Records?
• MPJ - Yeah?
• EDSEL - I basically just found a way to put out my own record without having to sign a record deal, but it turned out to be a bad idea, so that's why I signed a new record deal.
• MPJ - Why is that?
• EDSEL - Because its hard to run a business that needs so much money to function, unless your using you own money, or using a resource that is limitless, like a major label or and independent label who has their shit together; we were not. You find independent investors who are willing to stick by you, it's harder than it seems, when you don't have any ability to hold them to it, when it's their company that you are fronting. It's kind of an involved story.
• MPJ - Did you at least feel a sense of accomplishment?
• EDSEL - We have always been independent, so we always feel a sense of accomplishment. We independently continue to put out records, and tour, and do what we do without the support of a large label or big radio support. We still have a very "fuck you" attitude to the establishment of how the music business works to a large degree, because it's so un-artist friendly these days. But what are you going to do?
• MPJ - I wish there were something we could do?
• EDSEL - There is, it would be called "stop burning CDs, and start buying CDs again", but that will never happen, people don't change.
• MPJ - Well, they have started to crack down much harder on the people who are involved with illegal downloads of music, from going into homes and bust people to suing internet providers who's clients have downloaded.
• EDSEL - Yeah, but you know...
• MPJ - Yeah, but its never going to stop.
• EDSEL - It's just the way it is. You can just accept it or think that it will change, but it won't. People have so many other things to spend their money on. It's 2005; each teenager has a cell phone, a song playstation, a car, and 52 other things that they want to spend their money on, and music is usually fully accessible to them for free. So where is their motivation to buy it? When I was a kid, I didn't have a cell phone, I didn't have a Sony playstation that cost me $50 per game, so it was a lot easier for me to say, "A new record is coming out, I want to buy it" and you didn't have the ability to steal it back then. Its evolution, and the business is not evolving in such a way to make it work, and the people who really control the music business are extremely scared, and they're not spending money to break acts the way they used to. They are depending on the hard working acts to go out there and survive for themselves out of their will to do it, and once in a while the lucky big shots that do hit it, the labels get lucky on, in order to make the business roll
• MPJ - Well, there are still a number of people, like me, who still go buy CDs.
• EDSEL - Yeah, but that doesn't matter. Because the only way to judge a bands "value" is the number of albums that they sell; whither they are trying to get on bigger tours or trying to get on the radio or just trying to get people to pay attention to your band. The only way the industry can judge a band's value is to pick up a sheet and say, "Ok, well, they've sold this many records." There are many more fans than there are records sold because of the fact that people don't need to buy music anymore, but that's what determines how much money the companies: record companies and people who fund record companies are willing to spend on that act. So that's what makes it so damaging! But once again, it's not going to change; it's just the way it is.
• MPJ - It's because technology keeps advancing...
• EDSEL - Music isn't as important to people as it used to be. I mean, you have the internet, where you are bombarded with both visual and stereo/audio. DVDs: where you have video and audio, Video games; video, audio; you watch ESPN, where there's crazy music in the background. Music just isn't as important to people as it used to be. You used to be able to escape from reality through a record, now you escape reality with your playstation, or your cell phone, or your palm pilot, or whatever, and music just isn't as valuable; so people just aren't paying for it like they used to. The people who run the music business are still trying to have mansions and have big companies, because they know there are still going to be pop acts that are going to hit, and they are still going to have those acts that they throw against the wall and they sell 5 Million records and they pay for all the other losses. But from an independent stand point, it makes it just that much harder for independent artists to survive and prove their value because music just isn't as important to people as it used to be, but once again, so what? You can either complain about it, or accept it and move on. I just accept it.
• MPJ - (with that, time was up) Thank you for this opportunity to do this interview.

• MPJ - How did Shadows Fall start?
• MATT - We got bored with the local scene and decided we wanted to write some shit that we would want to hear. This was back in 1996; we have been together now for almost 10 years. Me and John played in other bands. We were hanging out and realized the music scene had gone to shit and wanted to do something about it. So we started writing songs for us, and that is pretty much it.
• MPJ - How did your local scene react when you started getting big?
• MATT - It was always good. We started playing anywhere and everywhere we could. Some shows sucked, some shows were amazing. It was always hit or miss.
• MPJ - You guys are touring on Ozzfest, How is that going for you?
• MATT - The first day is always rough, and we are working the kinks out. Today was good; we seem to have it together now. After a week, we kind of get into a routine.
• MPJ - So there are some bands tonight that are also playing at Ozzfest! Have you gotten a chance to see any of them?
• MATT - Well, we are still running around crazy, rewiring gear and such, so I didn't get a chance to see anything. But its kind of fun that there are bands that are playing at both Ozzfest and tonight, it's kind of like a reunion...almost like summer camp for bands.
• MPJ - So, your latest album is "The War Within" which is amazing, by the way. I bought it and I can't get enough of it!
• MATT - Thank you!
• MPJ - What did you do differently with "The War Within." that you didn't do with your past albums?
• MATT - Well, definitely more time, and more money. When you have close to no money, it's hard because they charge $60-$70 an hour in a recording studio, and it takes time to really get it right. So we didn't really have to worry about a budget or a deadline, so we just took our time and did the best we could.
• MPJ - So would you say you are happy with how the album turned out?
• MATT - Oh yeah! We are definitely satisfied with it!!
• MPJ - What inspired you to start playing guitar??
• MATT - That's hard to say!... It was Animal from the Muppet Show. Banging on the drums, I had a Muppet Show drum set when I was like 4 years old, I was WICKED stoked! But I had to switch to guitar, because I looked at an apartment, and the neighbors thought that the drums were too loud.
• MPJ - So, you're playing tonight, and at Ozzfest. When you have time to relax in-between shows, what is your favorite thing to do?
• MATT - There's no time, there's no time.
• MPJ - None?!
• MATT - Well yeah, we are constantly touring, so we barely have time to catch up on our sleep, and our laundry, and then its time to go out again. And when we aren't touring, we are usually in the studio writing or recording or something else, so it's always work. And it is what it is, but it's still the best job in the world! Its very time consuming, and its not easy, but it still rules, and as long as you do what you like to do, ya know?
• MPJ - Yeah, definitely. So tell me, what is it that drives you to write music?
• MATT - I'm stubborn! I don't want to give up. That's pretty much it! Things are going really well right now, and if you want to be a musician, you have to pay your dues, you have to go to shows and play your ass off!
• MPJ - Do you feel that you can express yourself through writing or playing music?
• MATT - Well, people definitely know when you're pissed off, because you are writing more aggressive music, or with any other emotion. And that's what makes it work because we are a band of different kinds of music, and having the combination of different emotions into one song definitely makes it interesting!
• MPJ - Well, thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to do this interview, and it's very nice meeting you.
• MATT - You're welcome!
• MPJ - Good Luck to you and Shadows Fall with the rest of the Ozzfest tour this summer.

• MPJ - Yesterday was the first day of Ozzfest, how was it going?
• RYAN - Yeah, it started yesterday. Its kind of like a summer camp for bands, a lot of the bands at Ozzfest have worked with each other or have toured together before, so its basically a big extended family. Sometimes you'll recognize someone, but not remember their name, and it will come to you a day later, and you'll put those two together, and say "Shit, I was on tour with this person", or "Yeah, I hung out with them and had a smoke." It's kind of like a big tailgate party. So I'm definitely looking forward to spending time with people who have similar lifestyles by the choice of professions that we've all chosen to do this and who you can really relate to and have conversations about what you do, because you do. It's to "walk a mile in my shoes" for what it is...to be on the road and to perform everyday. It's great having someone to talk to with like-minds and lifestyles because you can definitely relate to them.
• MPJ - Yeah, This will be my first year going, so I'm pretty excited about it!
• RYAN - Yeah, there are a lot of good bands playing this year. This is really a metal guitar band tour, ya know it's Ozzfest's tenth anniversary tour and they are really bringing the metal this time, but a real variety of metal but really heavy this time. It's Ozzfest ya know. When Black Sabbath came out they were the heaviest thing out there...it's part of the course.
• MPJ - So you are playing with some bands tonight, that are also on the Ozzfest lineup, such as Shadows Fall, In Flames and Trivium.
• RYAN - Yeah, Which I have not seen (Trivium), but I'm really excited about seeing them, they had already played when we had gotten to the venue yesterday, and I would really like to see Zombie's show, but I doubt I'll get to do that because we are doing signings while Rob Zombie is on stage. So basically I get to see his show from a distance. He has a hot stage show set-up, which I'm he's excited about.
• MPJ - Yeah, us too. Now this year, you'll be on the main stage, 3rd from the last, right?
• RYAN - Yeah, and it's definitely a different vibe than 2nd stage, we will be playing for a lot more people, which is a great opportunity. But the kids at the second stage are usually the kids who don't have the money to pay for the inside seats, but are ecstatic to just see the show. They end up 20 feet away when were on the main stage. But being able to play to the older crowd is a great opportunity because they obviously have been loyal Maiden and Sabbath fans, so to play for them is a great opportunity. Hopefully they will like it, but if not, they will have to endure it for 50 minutes while we play, ya know?
• MPJ - Yeah, definitely! So let's talk about your new album, Lost and Found...How did that go for you while you were recording?
• RYAN - *sarcasm*, its a piece of shit, don't you hate it?? haha
• MPJ - I love the new album, definitely!
• RYAN - Thanks!
• MPJ - And I think a lot of people are like "wow, they are different", as opposed to when you were wearing makeup, and now you're not.
• RYAN - Oh, we aren't?
• MPJ - Are you?
• RYAN - We are?... Day to day, I don't know...
• MPJ - Well, right now... Or is that a hint that there's something coming up soon?
• RYAN - Hmm... There's something that happened there..
• MPJ - So there's a surprise!?
• RYAN - You missed the show yesterday... Everyday is a different day!
• MPJ - (Ggggrrrrrr - If you check out the photo gallery from the show... you will see what "this" show had in store..)
• RYAN - We've set ourselves up to plan everything from day to day, and do exactly what we want to do, depending on how we feel that day. I think that we have had a strong fan base from the past albums to carry through. We toured the whole Summer Sanitary tour ( Metallica) and opted to do it without make-up.
• MPJ - Right, right. How was Lost and Found different from the past 2 albums while you were recording it?
• RYAN - Well, every album is a different experience, being able to be creative or bringing in a different energy, if you will, is quite an experience in itself. When a producer comes in, sometimes they want to "make a million records" or try to make the best album ever and it starts sounding more like the sound of an album they made instead of what the band made. We had a great producer, David Fortman, so while we were recording, he helped us be the best that we could be through this album
• MPJ - Now, with Dave coming from the band aspect, the musician aspect, and going through all the things that you guys go through, now producing, do you think that helped?
• RYAN - It's a perspective for him, ya know. He's a great singer, a great piano player, a great drummer, all around musician, as well as a gear-head. He also has the producer side of it, ya know, and I know if it was me, I would surely appreciate, as a band member and also as an entertainer with an album, having the experience that that person is having. Again, it's the "To walk a mile" in my shoes.
• MPJ - How did you guys find Dave?
• RYAN - Well, we researched. We are music fans, so we brought up several people, and by looking at what they produced. Dave produced Evanescence and Superjoint Ritual. Which sound completely different? He is a producer who pays attention to making the band's record instead of making the album sound like their own. We try to source people who are helping and not hindering us and he really helped us, and focused on our album. We aren't a young band anymore, I mean, I'm the baby and I'm 30. We all have been doing at this for awhile and I think it would have been counter-productive for us to come out with a sound out of the blue. A record label could not have just come out with a "nirvana". They just could not have thought up of this singer guy who would look a certain way. Those things are not business venues. They don't always know what people want. It's true on a certain level like to put out a 'Verse, Chorus, Verse Chorus. Bridge Chorus. Chorus. Out," ya know. For a band its work within a confining space. I consider it a craft. And to be able to dive into their craft, be crafty, but still being able to be themselves, even in a confined space. Congratulations to those bands that have stay true to themselves and did not jump off a cliff because they were told to. Any band does not want to be taken for a ride. You know, the whole world revolves around vibrations, whether you are talking about coal or sounds. Things vibrate on many levels, and life in general is intertwined with music, wither you are that casual listener or the fan who gets something else out of it. However the casual listener maybe will get something different out of it all, because they are open to letting things move in and out of their lives.
• MPJ - Now when it comes to writing your music, what do you think drives you?
• RYAN - Life!
• MPJ - Life?
• RYAN - Without one or the other, you don't have it. It's for those split moments, that you have to see what it means to you. I think it's true. It's the experience we call life. You're exposed to life when you are born. Actually, I was one of those babies who had the mom who put the headphones on her belly and played music to me when I was in the womb. No matter where those memories are, you are exposed to them. Growing up, both my parents were into music. My grandparents were into music. So life...
• MPJ - When you got into playing bass, what type of music were you into? With your family very musical, were you exposed to all kinds?
• RYAN - Fortunately, I was exposed to every type of music. From classic rock to old standard classical pieces. I was in the orchestra, I played the trumpet. So songs by like Scott Joplin. There wasn't too much that I wasn't exposed to back in the day except for the newer jargon like hip-hop and rap, but everything else. I started out playing guitar at a young age. One day I decided to pick up my dad's guitar and start playing, trying to figure things out. When I switched from a private school to a public "redneck", if you will, school, I started getting into the hard rock/metal music, such as Metallica and even heavier music than that during my high school years.
• MPJ - What advice would you give the young musician?
• RYAN - Find a person who has your best interest. We were brought up in such a fast food society, there's so much about our culture that is very young with a young mind set. As for the artist furthermost have fun. It can be. Just remember to have fun.
• MPJ - With having a younger fan base, do you find it sometimes hard to relate to them?
• RYAN - Our fan base is really diversified now. I think in the beginning it was a lot of younger fans. And it took a while for the older fans to come to accept us or to realize that we were going to be around. That it wasn't just a gimmick band. You know every night, for better for worst, we are going to go out there and play for everybody with all the energy that goes with it. And with our fans being diversified, we now have the 50 year old fan coming out to the show, who is open enough to come out, open enough to let It be part of their life, and I think that is really special, ya know. It's a good feeling to see them that the show.
• MPJ - Going back to the release of "Lost and Found." There was a 'bonus" download song upon pre-order of the album called "Goodbye?" What can you tell us about that and where did that song come from?
• RYAN - It was a Japanese release. It was something special, and then gets released as an import here
• MPJ - And where did the song come from?
• RYAN - About how the song was written? Our former Manager's father passed away and it has a specific connect to that. And we channeled our energies into that. It was hard to give that away and was personal. Because of that I don't think that we should have given that away. Eric Clapton did that with "Tears In Heaven" maybe that should have been something that was for him.
• MPJ - But with that song, He also helped a lot of people going through similar lost a way to cope
• RYAN - It's something hard to understand. I do not have any children, so I don't know what it's like to loose one.
• MPJ - Right, I would think that writing a song like that would also help and get it some emotions out.
• RYAN - I guess.
• MPJ - On a different note, shooting the video for "Happy?"
• RYAN - Let's be real straight here. Videos are not fun to make here. They are real pain in the asses. They are long. They are grueling. There is anything and everything that can go along with it, from liquid with glitter in it, poured into your eyes to standing in snow in freezing temperatures. Videos are not that fun to make, but it's for the fans. At first, I think we were really excited. Its art and the end product is fun to think about. But it's a pain
• MPJ - Did you shoot the video yet for "Forget to Remember?"
• RYAN - Uh..NO! We have not and we may not shoot it.
• MPJ - Although you're touring a lot, when you do have the down-time what is it that you like to do when you get that chance to wind down?
• RYAN - Lay on my couch with my dogs. I spend a lot of time in my gardens around my house. I have recently taking up the best experiences of my life. Gardening and hanging around my house with my dogs.
• MPJ - Gardening? Was that something that you did with your mom when you were growing up?
• RYAN - I actually grew up a lot with my grandparents. And my grandmother always had a lot of gardens; vegetable and flower gardens that needed to be planted every season. And I spend my summers with my grandparents and so I would help garden and go out where there was tomatoes and green peppers and such. It was rewarding to do. And I like cooking. And to grow the food and then cook it, it's gradifying.
• MPJ - Well, that just about wraps this up. Thank you for your time and doing this interveiw

• MPJ - How did As I Lay Dying start?
• TIM - About 4 1/2 years ago I started writing a lot of songs as I had just quit the band that I was playing with and I decided I wanted to start my own band. So I wrote a bunch of songs and got together with Jordan, our drummer, and our ex guitar player and showed up with the songs, told them I wanted to start a band and asked if they were interested. They were interested, so we started out as a three-piece, and recorded our first CD about two months later.
• MPJ - So after two month As I Lay Dying went into the studio?
• TIM - Yeah, we got together in February, and started recording the first week of April, so yeah, about a month and a half or so. A pretty short time.
• MPJ - Wow! So it was pretty fast!
• TIM - Yeah, really fast!
• MPJ - The band you were in before was called Societies Finest, did those fans carry over?
• TIM - Not really. Well, in Texas some of those fans carried over, but because we went to California and the fans didn't make their way out of Texas. However, when we toured in Texas, we definitely gained the fans then.
• MPJ - How did your local fans react when you first started getting big?
• TIM - The first few shows we did were true hardcore shows; more old school. In San Diego that was big, especially when we were growing up, and we were one of the first bands to be playing metal/ metal-core when we first started. The reaction of the people was that they liked it, but we were kind of weird. Ya know, we weren't like a tough guy band, but our sound was heavy; so they didn't know how to take it.
• MPJ - Cool! So after a while the fans were like "Wow, they are really good!"
• TIM - Yeah, we were definitely respected, and as our metal sound turned more into hardcore, they started becoming fans.
• MPJ - And how did you make it grow? Just playing shows and such?
• TIM - Yeah, pretty much. We were with one of the smaller record labels and stuff, so we just played shows and try to do as much as we could do.
• MPJ - Now you are playing at Ozzfest this year, and A lot of bands performing here tonight are also on that bill. How is that going for you?
• TIM - Good, good. We've toured or played shows with pretty much all the bands that are playing here tonight, except for Mudvayne, so we are looking forward to the tour.
• MPJ - I heard you have your own record label called Clockwork Records, right? Can you tell us a little bit about that? And you have one band signed right now?
• TIM - Yeah, one band. I started out with Clockwork Recordings because I saw this one band called Life In Pictures while we were touring and I felt like really deserved the same chance we had. They were very hard working and had written the songs they needed to do their first record, but they just hadn't been given the right business opportunities. They reminded me a lot of myself when I first started out and I wanted to give them the chance. So that is why I started Clockwork, mainly with them in mind, but when I went out on tour I met a lot of other bands just like them, bands who have a passion to play, and I wanted to be able to give them a chance as well.
• MPJ - Are you looking to sign more bands in the future?
• TIM - Yeah, there are a couple bands I'm looking at right now. I shouldn't say names, but yes there are a few bands right now that I'm really interested in.
• MPJ - Do they submit their demos? Or do you just meet them at shows and you feel their energy and that's what draws you to them?
• TIM - Well, I wouldn't consider signing a band unless I got to see them live, but then again if I heard a demo that is really amazing and the music really speaks for itself! If the music is cool, then I would go from there.
• MPJ - When band submit their demos, what do you look for?
• TIM - A band that is very talented. Definitely. Sometimes it takes time to get them to develop mentally where they could go ahead and not just where they are now. A band that has some way found their own identity, ya know? Some bands, now because metal core is popular, don't really have an identity.
• MPJ - Right. Turning to you, what inspired you to start singing?
• TIM - Well, honestly, I was a bass player, and I was always involved in song writing, and we could never find a singer to fit the songs we were writing, so I just decided to do it myself.
• MPJ - Definitely. A singer can be hard to find to represent that exact sound you want. Now, do you enjoy singing more than playing bass? Or is it equal?
• TIM - Well, I defiantly enjoy playing bass or guitar, too, but now that I've gotten comfortable with singing, I don't think I could ever go back to playing bass or guitar now.
• MPJ - Your new album, Shadows and Security, came out recently, and it placed # 35 its first week on the billboard charts! What was your anticipation for the new album?
• TIM - I know there was a lot of expectation from the label and also from the people who have been working with the band. It sold over 120,000 copies, and usually bands who do that well, places on the billboard charts. But I had no idea it was that high! Its weird being on the chart and being surrounded by artists who are on big labels and here we are on an independent label being placed at # 35.
• MPJ - Yeah. A "feather in your cap," so to speak. Now, what did you do differently this time around with making this album?
• TIM - We were definitely more focused! We focused more on the melody, and still keeping the dark side, too. We also wanted to make it a more memorable album. The album before this one was basically a collection of songs we had written over a few years, so we didn't have one focus for the whole record like we did for our newest one.
• MPJ - Was your newest album easier to do because you already had experience in the recording studio?
• TIM - Yeah, and definitely having more time really helped! With the first album we were rushed, so It was nice to be relaxed while writing Shadows and Security.
• MPJ - Was there a lot of pressure going into your last album?
• TIM - Oh, yeah of course there was pressure!
• MPJ - How did you go about write under pressure then?
• TIM - Well, I feel that I write best when I write for me, I know that sounds a little selfish, but when I write about what I personally enjoy and what I think sounds good, then it seems that it comes out sounding good to everybody, and that's how all of our songs have been written, and I didn't feel there was a reason to change that.
• MPJ - Yeah, coming from your heart
• TIM - Yeah, exactly
• MPJ - Well thank you for taking the time to speak with us! Good Luck on Ozzfet this summer
• Tim - Yup, you're welcome!

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  Posted by Nadine Swiger ::