Mark Hunter is the lead vocalist for the Cleveland, Ohio based band Chimaira. The band recently released their 6th studio album title “The Age of Hell”. Media Mikes had a chance to talk with Mark about the new album, life on the road and what it was like touring with Slipknot.
Adam Lawton: Can you give us some background on the new album “The Age of Hell”?
Mark Hunter: Where do I begin? For those that follow the band they may know that we have had a couple line-up changes over the past year and half to two years. We were forced to go into the studio a couple guys down and make the album. We tried to not let it cramp our style too much and we used the energy that came from it to make something great. We started in January and came out a few months later with “The Age of Hell”. It was a great experience working on the album as there were a lot of things both good and bad that led up to it.
AL: Did being two members down impact the recording process at all?
MH: It’s a mixture of two things. When it comes to writing the music for Chimaira, Rob and I have been the guys who usually deliver the base of the song. From there everyone else comes in and adds their character to it. Sometimes we would write so much that there wouldn’t really be much room for people to participate and other times it would be very open. We knew with our approach to writing an album technically we could do the work other than the fact that we were tripling the work load for everyone. Of course there is some impact on an emotional level as well whether it is confusion or anger or excitement. All the things that come with a relationship ending were present. It was almost like a divorce as we had been with the guys eight or nine years so it was a little difficult. We didn’t necessarily write specifically about the guys leaving but those events did affect the energy.
AL: Had you written any of the songs prior to the guys leaving?
MH: Everything had been unfolding over time and we chose to keep things internal until we felt it was appropriate to discuss. We tried to do our thing and make the album and music our focus. We had written something’s as early as 2010. Leading up to January 2011 when we began pre-production on the album we had about 15 songs written. I remember not being very satisfied with those songs as a whole and I knew that there was going to be a lot of work in front us. I have said before in interviews that we scrapped everything which wasn’t really the case. What I had meant to say is that those songs didn’t really get used and after everything happened we started writing and those new songs seemed to have what I was looking for that the previous demos did not.
AL: Do you have a favorite track of the new album?
MH: Yes and No. I like to listen to the album as a whole. I find that this album more so than our others feels like a journey of some sort. So it’s hard for me to pick a favorite track from this album. Our previous albums it was a clear cut case for me but if I had a gun to my head I think I would choose the song “Powerless”. I really like to just hear the whole album and reflect on what it took to make it. I have taken more out of this album than all of our other albums combined.
AL: Can you tell us about the upcoming fall tour?
MH: This is going to be our first full U.S. headlining tour in almost four years. We have been out but most of it has been supporting other bands. We had some real great opportunities to go out with Disturbed on the Mayhem Festival as well as the other tours we have been a part of. It’s cool to go back out and headline. We get to play 14 or 15 songs a night which really pleases the fans, which is something that we love doing. It’s a great package that features Impending Doom, Revocation and Rise to Remain. This will be one of two U.S tours that we are going to be doing. We will also be going overseas and we are booked solid through April. I have been home for a year so it will be good to get back out there.
AL: Is there anything you like or dislike about being out on the road?
MH: I think Rob Zombie said it best when he said “You don’t get paid for the hour you are on stage. You get paid for the other 23 hours leading up to it”. I think that’s a pretty accurate description. The best part is playing the gig and the worst part is waiting around prior to the show. It’s an interesting life. You are camping with your friends but instead of being in nice scenic places you’re in shitty parking lots.
AL: What was it like when you guys were touring with Slipknot a few years back?
MH: Slipknot is a great band that we learned a lot from. They were always down to earth and treated us great. They were very thankful to have us on the tour with them. The first night we played together I was in the dressing room waiting for them to go on. I am a big fan of theirs and actually saw them on their first tour. So we were sitting there and a couple of the guys came into the room in full costume and in character. These guys were not the same guys once they had transformed into their roles. There was this feeling that things were about to get real serious! I was actually terrified. Out of all of the bands I have seen live Slipknot is definitely the most intense.
AL: Are there any other things going on besides the tour for yourself?
MH: The touring is definitely going to preoccupy all the energy we have. However to keep busy I met a band from the Cleveland area called Ohio Sky. Musically they are in the vein of the Deftones or Mastodon. I describe them as space rock. Their keyboardist helped us out a lot on the album and we have become real good friends. I am trying to help them and share my knowledge of the business to help them get their foot in the door. It’s a good project to spend my free time with. Working with them has been different and a nice change of pace. This business and climate right now is like walking into a lion’s den, so I am glad to share my experience and insight.
Media Mikes had a chance recently to talk with JB Brubaker and Dustin Davidson from the band August Burns Red about all the great stuff the band has going on this fall and next year.
Adam Lawton: How did you guys get involved with the iMatter festival?
JB Brubaker: We played the festival for the first time last year. I’m not sure how everything actually worked out. We were contacted about playing the show last year and being it isn’t too far from our home in Pennsylvania., so we loaded up the trailer and came up to play. They asked if we would be willing to play again this year and we were happy to come and do it. We had such a great time the previous year and the festival is for a good cause.
AL: You guys were on Warped Tour this summer and then had a few weeks off. What do you have planned next tour wise?
Dustin Davidson: We are off until the middle of October. We head over to Japan for a festival and then from there we go to Germany and do a full European tour with A Day to Remember.
AL: Have you guys toured overseas before?
DD: Yeah we have been over there multiple times.
JB: We have been over there I think around 10 times or so. So we are pretty familiar with it over there.
AL: How does tour overseas compare to touring here in the states?
JB: The U.S. is much more comfortable. The buses you get in Europe are somewhat smaller than here and they pack you in pretty tight.
DD: There are usually two bands per bus.
JB: The buses are almost always double-decker buses which makes the ceilings pretty low which makes it so you can’t stand up all the way. The buses aren’t great over there but it does beat sleeping in a van.
AL: Can you tell us about the bands most recent release titled “Leveler”?
JB: The album came out on June 21st and it’s our fourth full length record on Solid State. You could call it our most ambitious release to date. While we are still a metal band we have started to include other styles of music a little bit. We have sort of branched out of the metal core box more so than we have in the past. I think that has been a result of us being bolder as well as getting better at our instruments. We wanted to explore some other sounds besides the thrash riffs and break downs. We still love those but sometimes its fun to do other stuff as well.
DD: Adding new things makes it so we aren’t making the same record every time.
AL: I you had to pick a band you wanted to share a stage with who do you think it would be?
JB: That’s a tough questions because there are so many great bands to choose from.
DD: I would like to share a stage with either Blink 182 or Jimmy Eat World. I love those bands and grew up listened to them. I would be there singing every song!
JB: I would say the Arcade Fire. They are an awesome band that isn’t in our world of music at all. It would be pretty crazy if we did get to play with them. I think they are awesome and they are a great live band.
AL: Any great road moments you can share with us?
JB: There have been so many. The one that sticks out most recently was from this summer’s Warp Tour. We were in Pomona, California all the bands were hanging out waiting for bus call and our sound guy runs up to the bus to tell us there are two people really going at it behind the trailer. A bunch of us go out to look and sure enough about three buses down there is a guy and girl just going at it. It was pretty wild and I guess something you would expect. We generally don’t see that type of stuff on tour!
DD: We never see that stuff happening!
AL: Other than the European tour is there anything else you guys have going on?
JB: I am currently writing for a release that I can’t say too much about. But I can say that it’s going to be a specialty release that won’t be out until probably next year. We also are in the works of putting together a North American headlining tour that will start in January.
Matt Carter is the lead guitarist for the South Carolina based band Emery. Emery released their 5th studio album earlier this year titled “We Do What We Want”. Media Mikes caught up with Mike at this year’s iMatter festival to talk about the release as well as the bands future plans.
Adam Lawton: How did you guys first get involved with the iMatter festival?
Matt Carter: I’m not really sure how that all worked out. As a band we love to go out and play festivals in the summertime. We really like being in that type of setting and we try to play as many as we can. With iMatter being a newer festival we really wanted to play it.
AL: Can you tell us about the band’s latest release “We Do What We Want”?
MC: The album came out earlier this year and it has been received really well by the fans. It a little bit heavier than our previous records. When we first came out as a band we were very heavy and we were trying to push those limits. However in the last 10 years since we have been writing songs together certain things have changed in music. We want to continue to stay cutting edge so we decided to push things further than writing regular verses and choruses. We really pushed ourselves and that’s what this record is about.
AL: Can you tell us any great stories from being on the road with the band?
MC: My favorite moment would have to be probably the worst tour moment as well. We had purchased a bus that had no air conditioning. We put fans…but the generator never worked either. We were crossing the desert and at one point we stopped. All we had were these two roof vents for air, so it was like being in a tin can. It was about 120 degrees in this thing at night. It was early on when we first got this bus, so we didn’t have beds or anything like that made up and people were just lying around. People were complaining so much that it made it almost enjoyable for me to sit and listen to them. I really had joy in that moment. (Laughs)
AL: If you could pick one band to share a stage with whom would it be and why?
MC: We would love to play a show with Weezer. They are one of our favorite bands. They are a large band and they are still making music. It would be really fun and they are our heroes for getting to music on a long term basis.
AL: What are the bands upcoming plans?
MC: We are going to begin planning for a new record. We haven’t written it yet but we are going to start doing all the pre-planning stuff such as where and when are we going to be doing the album. It will take awhile as we currently don’t have any plans to write just yet. We will be starting to make plans for which direction we want the album to go and what tours we want to get on.
Texas in July released their second full length album this spring titled “One Reality” Media Mikes got a chance to chat with the whole band recently and it was quite entertaining to say the least. A huge thank you goes out to the band as well as their manager Jimmie and publicist Natalie for making this happen.
Adam Lawton: How did you guys get involved with the iMatter festival?
Christian Royer: 3 years ago they asked us to do it.
Ben Witkowski: A few years ago we got the offer and I think that was the year Devil Wears Prada played as well as Kid Napkin.
CR: We were really stoked to be asked!
BW: Shout out to Kid Napkin! Their bass player is wicked good!
AL: What has been your take on playing the festival?
Adam Gray: It’s great!
BW: It’s cool and I love playing it!
Alex Good: The kids are all really great and nice!
CR: They always treat us really great. They love us and we love them.
BW: The crowd has been really great each year we have played.
AL: Chris I would like to say you look a little bit like Russell Brand.
BW: OOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHH!!!!
AG: (Laughs)
CR: The interviews over!
Chris Davis: I am leaving now! (Laughs)
AL: It’s not a bad thing.
AG: He gets that all the time.
AL: What can you tell us about your recent release “One Reality”?
BW: We put a lot of hard work into it and we are really proud of it!
Alex: It’s our second full length album but our first on Equal Vision.
AL: Does anyone have a favorite track off the album?
CD: The title track “One Reality” which we just started playing for our upcoming tour with We Came as Romans.
CR: I think I am with you as that song has been really fun playing live.
BW: It’s a toss-up between when I listen to the album and when I go out and play the album. It could really be any of the songs.
AL: Do you guys have any crazy tour moments you can tell us about?
AG: I was held up at knife point!
BW: We blew a tire in the Bronx one time and were stuck there until 4am.
AG: The trailer got stranded there for a few days but it never got robbed.
CD: We ran out of gas in Montana one time in a blizzard. We ended up pulling over at a gas station and waited out front until they opened at like 6am. I was driving. I’m an idiot!
CR: Europe was pretty crazy just in general.
AL: How is it for you guys touring overseas as compared to in the states?
CD: I think its better.
AG: There just tends to be double the kids each night coming out to the shows.
CR: It’s great because none of us have to drive over there or worry about being up. They treat all the bands like gods.
BW: I love Las Vegas!
CD: What? (Laughs)
BW: I was just teasing. (Laughs)
AL: Can you tell us about your upcoming fall tour?
BW: We are very excited for that. We are playing with our good friends We Came as Romans and we hear good things about Miss May I and the rest of the guys on the tour.
CD: The full line up is We Came as Romans, Texas in July, and Miss May I, Of Mice and Men and Close to Home.
BW: It’s going to be a great time and the tour wraps up at the Tuxedo Junction in Danbury, CT with Miss May I.
CD: We get one day off then we have to fly to Europe.
AL: Adam can you tell us about your appearance on the “Late Show with Jay Leno”?
AG: Probably the most stressful thing I have ever experienced in my life. It was awesome to meet everyone but I was just so nervous and stressed out that I couldn’t clear my head. I did enjoy it though.
AL: How did you get involved with doing the show?
AG: There was a video of me that had gone viral going around. Hayley Williams from Paramore kind of helped it and really started it off by posting it on her Tumblr site. From there Ryan Seacrest posted it in Twitter to Travis Barker and from there it just blew up.
AL: Jay treated you alright?
AG: Yeah! He walked in dressed in all denim and told me not to be nervous as my grandma was watching. That’s all I needed.
AL: You had to be in front of William Shatner as well correct?
AG: Yeah but him I don’t care about!
BW: William Shatner better watch his back!
AG: I am really not a big fan of his.
AL: I assume he wasn’t very pleasant?
AG: Yeah but It doesn’t really matter. I didn’t exactly know who he was at first and I know that’s kind of stupid but I never was a real “Star Trek” fan. As soon as I got back from that thing I laid down, turned on the television and the first thing I see is William Shatner on the Priceline commercial.
AL: Other than the fall tour what else do you guys have planned?
BW: Were starting to write some new rock songs!
CD: We have pretty much all of November and December off. So we will probably start writing for the new album. We have some touring at the beginning of the year planned as well,which should be good.
AG: That tour will be a good one! But we can’t tell you who is going to be with us.
iMatter Festival 2011
Date: Friday, September 2nd Saturday, September 3rd, Sunday, September 4th 2011
Venue: Eldridge Park, Elmira, NY
Our Score: 4 out of 5 stars
Check out our interviews with Texas In July, Emery and August Burns Red.
iMatter Festival an event held annually for the past 2 years at Eldridge Park in Elmira, NY kicked off on September 2 and ran through September 4th. The festival is the brain child of Elmira Pastor Scott Lowmaster and is a 3 day event aimed at eliminating suicide among teens in the Upstate NY area. Though the festival sports a faith based theme there is something for everyone at the festival.
I had never gone to iMatter festival prior to this year as I was a bit skeptical about the faith based themes that were present though out the 3 day event. I don’t think there is anything wrong with those themes however it generally is not my scene. This year’s line-up which featured, Emery, Texas in July and August Burns Red to name just a few was enough to put those worries aside and take in the event. Though it was extremely hot as temperatures reach almost 95 degrees the festival was a great experience. All the staff working the various locations throughout the festival grounds were very courteous and friendly. It seemed as though great lengths were taken to ensure a safe and fun event for all those who attended. Each band that performed on Saturday really brought their A game in my opinion. Some highlight performances of the day were put on by The Great Commission, Texas in July, August Burns Red and Emery who even though being stopped mid performance 3 different times due to lightning still put on a solid performance.
I really can’t say enough good things about iMatter Festival and the people who put it on each year. Everyone involved does a really great job providing a safe environment to watch a concert. Combine that with getting some real top notch bands to perform every year and you have iMatter Festival. I will tell you that if you are uncertain about the festival and its thoughts or ideas I say put those aside and come out to the next iMatter Festival. You will not be disappointed!
I would like to send out a big thank you to Scott and Lauren Lowmaster for allowing MediaMikes.com to cover the event.
Friday Line Up: Benjah, Flame, Trip Lee, Oceans and Vessels, The Ember Days
Saturday Line Up: As Hell Retreats, My Heart To Fear, Gideon, To Speak Of Wolves, The Great Commission, Hundreth,
I, The Breather, Life In Your Way, Texas In July, Impending Doom, A Plea For Purging, Emery, August Burns Red, The Ember Days
Sunday Line Up: The Ember Days
Girl on Fire
“Revenge EP”
Hollywood Waste
Producer: WiL Francis
Tracks: 5
Our Score: 4 out of 5 stars
Girl on Fire are a 4 piece Alt/Rock band hailing from the Seattle, WA area. The band consisting of Austin Held- Vocal, Mick McMahan- Guitar, Josh Mouser- Bass and Harry MacDonald- Drums bring a fresh new approach to the Alt/Rock scene with the release of the bands debut EP titled “Revenge”. “Revenge” is a blend of rock infused punk which is very reminiscent of early Linkin Park albums.
Though not really familiar with Girl on Fire prior to my listening of the “Revenge EP” I was pleasantly surprised and became a fan instantly. Tracks such as “Revenge” and “Tragic Ending” have a perfect blend of rock meets pop punk. Every song on the “Revenge EP” seemed to have a hook that instantly made your head bob along to the beat. Austin Held’s vocals are a breath of fresh air and compliment the songs perfectly.
Girl on Fire’s “Revenge EP” is pure listening goodness! My only complaint was that I wanted to hear more songs! With such a catchy and melodic approach I can’t wait to hear what Girl on Fire has in store next for its listeners.
Track Listing:
1.) Revenge
2.) Tragic Ending
3.) Medicate
4.) Secret Lies
5.) Close Your Eyes
The Great Commission
“Heavy Worship”
ANGR/Century Media
Producer: Andrew P. Glover
Tracks: 11
Our Score: 4.5 out of 5 stars
The Great Commission is a 6 piece band based out of Riverside, California. The band is made up of Justin- Vocals, Angela- Rhythm Guitar/Vocals, Robby- Lead Guitar, Victor- Guitar, Solomon- bass and Alonso on drums. The band labels themselves as a heavy worship band that blends the musical styles of hardcore, screamo and punk with Christian themed lyrical content. “Heavy Worship” is the band 3 release and is the follow up album to the bands 2009 Strike First release titled “And Every Knee Shall Bow”.
“Heavy Worship” is relentless in its approach both lyrically and musically. In my opinion the band does a great job blending scream vocals and pop punk sing along choruses which in turn make the album extremely fun to listen to. The 3 guitar attack provides a variety of heavy breakdowns which will surely conjure up the most fierce circle pits. The albums opening track “Don’t Go To Church, Be The Church” lays the foundation for later tracks such as “When It Rains It Pours” and “Draw The Line”. Even though the bands Christian themed messages may be too much for some listeners they do not over shadow the fact that “Heavy Worship” is a great album. and worth picking up no matter your thoughts or beliefs are!
The Great Commission’s “Heavy Worship” is a brutal onslaught of down tuned guitars and thick thunderous bass and drums which combined with Justin and Angela’s spot on vocals make for a really exciting album. No matter what your thoughts or beliefs are do yourself a favor and get this album!
Track Listing:
1.) Don’t Go To Church, Be The Church
2.) The Walking Dead
3.) When It Rains It Pours
4.) Draw The Line
5.) Preaching To The Choir
6.) Weight Of The World
7.) The Prodigal Son
8.) Road To Damascus
9.) The Juggernaut
10.) Reap What You Sow
11.) Came To My Rescue (Be Lifted…)
Warm Ghost
“Narrows”
Partisan Records
Producer: Abe Seiferth
Tracks: 9
Our Score: 2 out of 5 stars
Warm Ghost are a two piece Brooklyn, NY group made up of Oliver Chapoy and Paul Duncan. Together the two fuse the sounds of Experimental Pop and something they call Psychedelic John Hughes. “Narrows” is the duo first release which is being released via Partisan Records on September 27th.
“Narrows” is an interesting blend of stylistic synth blends and slow droning vocals which are then combined together making up the 9 tracks found on Warm Ghost’s debut release. At times the group has somewhat of a Modest Mouse sound however it is a little less accesable to the casual listener. The band describes their sound as Psychedelic John Hughes and rightfully so. Tracks like “I Will Return” and “Inside Out” almost sound as though they came right out of one of Hughes movies however with a few updated touches. I was a fan of the track “Myths on Rotting Ships”. With such an interesting I was instantly drawn to it. The song is full of some really cool and interesting sound layers which makes it enjoyable to listen to.
Warm Ghost’s debut release “Narrows” may not be something you can listen to all the time or if you are a casual experimental music listen as it might be a little too much. However for those seasoned listeners and fans of the genre you may enjoy this release.
Track Listing:
1.) G.T.W.S.
2.) I Will Return
3.) Once One
4.) Myths on Rotting Ships
5.) Ply7
6.) Inside and Out
7.) Mariana
8.) Splay of Road
9.) An Absolute Light
Halcyon Way
“Indoctrination”
Nightmare Records
Producer: Lasse Lammert
Tracks: 8
Our Score: 3.5 out of 5 stars
“Indoctrination” is the newest release from one of Atlanta, Georgia’s premier metal bands Halcyon Way. “Indoctrination” is the follow up to the bands 2010 release titled “Building Towers”. The new album features 7 news tracks from the band as well a cover version of “Stand Up” a song which was featured in the film “Rockstar” starring Mark Wahlberg. The album also features a remixed version of the bands song “The System” which was remixed by Karbon Black. “Indoctrination” is slated for release on October 27th via Nightmare Records.
I am always interested in listening to the newest releases by bands that are handled by Freeman Promotions. John Freeman has a roster of metal bands that never ceases to amaze me and Halcyon Way is one of those bands. “Indoctrination” is an awesome blend of classic and new school metal. Indoctrination’s” opening track “On Black Wings” is a stunning example of the bands blend of classic and new metal tones. At times the band can come off a little campy however once Kris Malteniek’s brutal vocals kick in all that campiness is erased. The track “Revolution is Now” was another track that stuck out as a favorite of mine as I am a big fan of the heavy choruses and melodic verses.
If you are fan of bands like Queensryche and Dream Theater pick up Halcyon Way’s newest release “Indoctrination” and expand you progressive metal collection a bit further as this album is a real stand out in the genre.
Track Listing:
1.) On Black Wings
2.) Our Finest Hour
3.) IndoctriNation
4.) Revolution Is Now
5.) The Wages of War
6.) Stand Up
7.) The Age of Betrayal
8.) The System (Karbon Black RMX)
Elephant Mountain
“The Last Days of Planet Earth”
Producer: Brian Azzoto, Jeff Moleski
Tracks: 9
Our Score: 5 out of 5 stars
“The Last Days of Planet Earth” is the first release by the Syracuse NY, based band Elephant Mountain. The band consisting of Joe Altier – Vocals, Brian “Slider” Azzoto – Guitars, Lewk Detor – Drums, John Hanus – Guitars, Dave Hoyt – Bass and Lou Segreti – B3 Organ. Elephant Mountain is the newest band to feature former Century Media artist Brand New Sin members Joe Altier and Brian “Slider “Azzoto.
Being a huge fan of Brand New Sin I was really excited to hear that Joe and Slider were back together in a new band Elephant Mountain. Since receiving this news I have been waiting to hear what kind of tunes they would come up with but, mainly how were the new songs going to compare to their previous Brand New Sin songs/albums. Well first off “The Last Days of Planet Earth” was well worth the wait! Songs like the albums opener “North of Nowhere” and “I’m Done” are spot on. “The Last Days of Planet Earth” is one of those albums you can throw in your player and just listen to it over and over and not get bored.
Elephant Mountain’s “The Last Days of Planet Earth” is a great blend of Lynyrd Skynyrd meets Led Zeppelin infused tunes. “The Last Days of Planet Earth” really has something for everyone be it straight forward rock tunes to scaled back soulful ballads. Hands down “The Last Days of Planet Earth” is a great album!
Track Listing:
1.) North of Nowhere
2.) No Other
3.) Pray
4.) Out of my Head
5.) Heaven’s Bleed
6.) Words With Friends
7.) Missin’ You
8.) I’m Done
9.) The Last Days of Planet Earth
Anthrax
“Worship Music”
Megaforce
Producer: Anthrax, Jay Ruston
Tracks: 11
Our Score: 4 out of 5
“Worship Music” produced by Anthrax, Scrap 60 and Jay Ruston is the legendary thrash/metal bands 10th studio album. “Worship Music” is the first release of new music by the band since their 2003 release “We’ve Come For You All”. “Worship Music” is also the first album to feature singer Joey Belladonna since Anthrax’s 1990 release of “Persistence of Time”.
When I read that Joey Belladonna had been tapped to sing vocals on the new Anthrax album my inner thrash fan about exploded out of my chest! I like many other Anthrax fans have been waiting 20 years for Joey’s next album with the band and now its hear. “Worship Music’s” first single “Fight ‘Em Til You Can’t” kicks the album right off and is packed full of both classic and more modern Anthrax sounds. Joey Belladonnas voice is like an ageless wonder and in my opinion has never sounded better. Tracks like “The Devil You Know”, “I’m Alive” and “The Constant” were instant favorites of mine. However all 11 tracks included on “Worship Music” had great arrangements that I felt really showcased each member of the bands talent.
Anthrax’s “Worship Music” is classic Anthrax. For those hardcore Anthrax fans that have been waiting for a new album featuring Joey Belladonna your wait is over. Joey’s vocals are dead on reminiscent of the classic Anthrax albums we all grew up listening to. As a whole the band is extremely tight making “Worship Music” a great album to mosh and head bang to!
Track Listing:
1.) Worship (Intro)
2.) Fight ‘Em Til You Can’t
3.) The Devil You Know
4.) Earth on Hell
5.) Crawl
6.) I’m Alive
7.) In the End
8.) Revolution Screams
9.) The Giant
10.) The Constant
11.) Judas Priest
Michael Derks aka “Balsac the Jaws of Death” guitarist for the rock group Gwar has a new project coming out titled “Blood Vomits” which is a puppet based adventure series that was fully funded through the internet donation site Kickstarter.com. Mediamikes.com had a chance to catch up with Michael to talk about the project and how he came about using Kickstarter.com
Adam Lawton: How did you first become involved with the “Blood Vomits”?
Michael Derks: I didn’t really know too much about it at first and I don’t really know why. I knew about the idea as Davis Bradley who basically came up with the idea and built the puppets used to tour with Gwar and was one of our Gwar slaves. After he left the band he was working on some other weird little projects and one of them was these puppets. A friend of Davis’s by the name of John Brennan had written a script about three Mexican banditos with one being a priest and the other two being completely evil. Davis took that script and adapted it to the puppets he was building and then had Dave Brockie and Todd Evans do the voices. I hadn’t really heard about it until I found it on YouTube. This was a couple years later as nothing had really been done with it except for the skit being put up on YouTube. I went to Davis and asked him what he was doing with the puppets and Davis told me nothing really become of the project so I asked why not? As I thought it was really awesome. I asked him if he had a problem with me using the puppets and writing some more stuff. The only problem was Davis didn’t have any money for the project and couldn’t really afford to do the project just for fun. A short time later I saw Chris Gethard from “Upright Citizens Brigade” on his comedy tour and I got a chance to talk with him and he told me about how he had funded the tour he was on through a website called kickstarter.com. I thought that sounded perfect for what I wanted to do so I asked Davis and he said sure and we just ran with it from there. We had a budget of $5,000 which is nothing but we were able to save a lot of money due to all the in house talent we had with the band.
AL: Other than writing you also did some of the voice work as well correct?
MD: I added some writing and a few additional voices but not a whole lot. I decided that since Todd Evans wasn’t around anymore we had to recast other than Dave Brockie’s character. I thought it would be a cool idea to get a super group of Richmond, VA metal bands together and have them do something other than play music. I was able to get Randy Blythe from Lamb of God as well as Tony Foresta from Municipal Waste. It’s kind of become a collaboration between the three of us.
AL: What were your first thoughts when you reached your budget goal on kickstarter?
MD: We put it up there as kind of a test. The original idea was to do more episodes so us reaching the goal kind of gave us hope that once we have the first episode done there will be interest to do more and keep funding those episodes.
AL: What are the release plans for the project?
MD: It’s almost edited. Davis had thought it would take around a month to have everything edited but unfortunately it has taken closer to 3 months. It’s almost done we just have to get together and do the final tweaks on everything and make sure everyone is happy. I’m guessing within a few weeks we will have it out.
AL: This being just the first film/episode what are the future plans for the project?
MD: We are hoping to do a full 12 episode television season. We want to release it on YouTube for people to watch for free and just see how it goes. We want to get the funding before we make the next episode so if people like it and want more they have to help us. (Laughs) As we go along we want to get more celebrities involved doing different voices and such. When we are on the road with Gwar we run into a lot of our rock star friends so the idea is to give them the lines and record them right on the bus.
AL: Do you have any other projects your working on right now?
MD: I have a couple things that I am sort of working on. I am thinking about another puppet based series but that’s still in the development stages.
For more info on “Blood Vomits” you can go to www.gwar.net for all the latest info.
Dave Brockie aka Oderus Urungus has a role in the upcoming kickstarter.com funded puppet adventure “Blood Vomits” Mediamikes.com caught up with Dave to talk about the project as well as some of the other things he has been working on lately.
Adam Lawton: Can you tell us about your role in the “Blood Vomits” project?
Dave Brockie: I didn’t really do a whole lot. I offered some moral support as well as doing the voice of Mad Dog who is one of the lead characters. Pretty much Davis Bradley and Michael Derks were responsible for getting all of the elements of the story together. I just came in and did my voice. For once I wasn’t running the show. I really enjoyed the hell out of coming in and just being a supporting player! There just is so much talent in the Gwar camp that it was nice to sit back for a change. I have been doing a lot of the publicity and informing the fans about the project which has been great.
AL: Had you heard of Kickstarter.com prior to this project?
DB: No I hadn’t. Mike brought that idea to everyone and it’s really an amazing thing. We were very surprised with how well we did. Originally the guys were going to only ask for $2,500. I told them to just go for it and ask for $5,000 and we ended up with $7,000 so we were really happy with it. I’m sure we will be using it again in the future as it’s a really awesome tool for artists.
AL: Can you tell us about your book that was released recently titled “Whargoul”?
DB: “Whargoul” came out on Dead Eye press which is a division of Eraser Head press. I had written the book about 10 years ago and had it up on my website for quite awhile. This company got in touch with me and was interested in putting out the story in a real book form. I said “Hell Yeah” they set everything up and it has been doing pretty good. It’s also available in a Kindle version as well. They have asked me to write a sequel but I don’t know if I can write a sequel to “Whargoul”. I did leave the character in spot to where a sequel could happen but I don’t know. “Whargoul” took a really long time to write and it was a struggle. I want to write another novel but I’m not sure I want to write a sequel just yet. At some point I think I could though. People have been really supportive of this and the other side projects I am involved in which has made me work harder. Gwar fans are tremendous and support us in everything we do. I just finished a short story for a zombie anthology which is titled “Bone Manner Revisited”. I had written this story for one of my creative writing classes in college and similar to “Whargoul” it sat around for a few years. I was contacted by a publisher about doing a zombie type story and I remembered that short story from college. I did a re-write on it and some buffing up and it should be coming out pretty soon. I also have my blog on rvanews.com which continues to tell the story of Gwar’s inception. I definitely plan to compile that for a novel one day as well. When I finally get into my last days of decrepitude I can totally see myself writing a lot more.
AL: There has been a lot going on in the Gwar world lately with the news of the Gwar B-B-Q line up and a fall 2011 tour. There also has been gossip of a new band member. Can you tell us anything about that?
DB: It’s getting out now that Casey Orr has left the band. Casey has played Beefcake a few different times over the years. The split was something that didn’t come as a surprise as we knew that he would eventually be moving on. Basically the economy right now is really rough and Gwar is not the easiest band to be in. It’s especially difficult for guys who don’t live in the Richmond area. All of Casey’s family and projects are in Texas so the strain of holding those two different lives together got to the point where he had to make a decision. The split is completely amicable and we love Casey. It wouldn’t surprise me if he didn’t end up working for us again at some point. I know for a fact next time we are in Dallas he will be back stage drinking all of our beer. We all play characters in Gwar and there have been 3 different Beefcakes with Casey playing the role twice. The characters are defiantly bigger than the musicians who play them. The new Beef Cake the Mighty will be debuting at this year’s Gwar B-B-Q but we do wish Casey all the best and we will miss him.
AL: The Fall tour is being dubbed “Return of the World Maggot Tour” correct?
DB: Yes! We recently moved into a new slave pit and when we were moving we went through all the old costumes. We came across the World Maggot and it was still in pretty good shape. We are always getting asked when we are going to bring that prop back. Because we didn’t have time to build a whole new show and we don’t have a new album out we decided to bring out a bunch of the old characters. It’s going to be a cool tour as we will be out with Every Time I Die as well as playing a few shows with Ghoul and Warbeast. We are really looking forward to get back out there!
AL: Are you involved at all with the Gwar “Dim Time” book which is being compiled by former Slave Pit/Gwar members Don Drakulich and Chuck Varga?
DB: They have asked me my opinion about stuff but it’s been Don and Chuck who have been sorting that stuff out. Everyone is really starting to get their own side project niche now and this is one of those times. I trust that they are going to do a great job. Don was with us from the very beginning and he has a lot of really amazing footage. It a story that needs to be told however I don’t really need to contribute that much because I lived it! (Laughs) Anything about the “Dim Time” is going to have my mug all over it.
For more info on all things Gwar you can head over to Gwar.net and you can follow Dave on twitter @therealoderus and also read his blog at rvanews.com.
After a string of successful tour dates this past July, Anvil are back on the road again! Starting mid-October these metal Legends will work their way north across America to the west coast, making several stops throughout California, and returning to the east coast for the start of November.
As always they promise to bring a show that represnts the true rockers they are!
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Monument of Metal : The Very Best of Anvil
Anvil are true defenders of the faith and they’ve never lost sight of their vision to create uncompromising, dyed in the wool heavy metal. They have been on a rock ‘n’ roll journey for the past 30 years and while few bands can make it to the three year mark, Anvil have closed in on three decades of the most uncompromised and ear pleasing metal known to headbangers. The band’s career has developed into a very public rocket ride into the musical and pop culture stratosphere only recently, though.
Ever since the award-winning documentary Anvil! The Story of Anvil propelled the Canadian band from their respectable, hard-earned status as a band revered by the likes of Metallica, Motorhead and Guns N’ Roses, and not to mention, Anvil! director Sascha Gervasi, who served as a former roadie for Anvil and was compelled to make a film about this object of his affection, to a heavy metal feel good story that attracted an exponential amount of new fans to a heritage band, Anvil founding members, vocalist/guitarist Steve “Lips” Kudlow and drummer Robb Reiner, have made sure that one thing remains constant. And that’s their dedication to their music.
While they continue to craft new, relevant and exciting hard rock music, it’s their history and their catalog that ensures Anvil’s firm and immovable place in the annals of metal history. Their status as legends is inarguable, even though they are still active as ever.
Overall, though, Anvil don’t have their own chapter in the heavy metal encyclopedia; they have their own volume, thanks to a rich, revered cannon that old fans continuously revisit, all the while attracting new fans to their lair with continued quality music. That’s how damn good Anvil are…
…And That’s precisely why The End Records, which also released the band’s fourteenth album Juggernaut of Justice earlier this year, is choosing to celebrate Anvil’s career with Monument of Metal: The Very Best of Anvil, a 19-track career retrospective that will earn “must own” and “must hear” status for fans both fans new and old.
This set collects choice cuts from Anvil’s career and the track listing was hand-selected by the members of Anvil and spans their three-decade career. It is designed to show you why the aforementioned likes of Guns ‘N Roses, Metallica, Motorhead, Anthrax, Slayer and more have praised Anvil as pioneers and way pavers in the heavy metal world. It’s a retrospective spanning the band’s entire iconic career and a comprehensive heavy metal history lesson captured on record.
“This compilation demonstrates the full diversities of the Anvil’s sound and feel, from the classics though the dark years to the current,” said rhythm keeper Reiner about the songs collected in this set. “These tracks are more to do with power and melody rather than just the speed aspect, although there relevant gems included here! We could endlessly compile Anvil tracks, as most are outstanding in their own rights. I feel this Monument of Metal makes a statement introducing Anvil to new pounders along satisfying the faithful.”
Lips concurred, saying, “This compilation is a great diverse collection of Anvil’s history. It’s a good retrospective of 30+ years of the creating and recording of Anvil’s music. These tracks are among some of our favorites.” He did admit that choosing songs was no easy task, since each of Anvil’s songs is a like a kid to him, saying, “Picking them was not easy as generally speaking we love everything we’ve ever done….otherwise we wouldn’t have recorded the music to begin with. This will serve as a great introduction to Anvil as well as make for great listening pleasure for our old diehard fans. Enjoyand stay heavy!!!
http://www.myspace.com/anvilmetal
http://www.theendrecords.com/artists/anvil
