Band Interview: Stop Sign Riot

Interview with Corey of Stop Sign Riot by Lady Kat Chaos and Amethyst Wynter

Lady Kat Chaos: Hails Corey! Besides having some upcoming gigs what else are you up to?
Corey: As Of Now We Are Recording Our Single Zombies! It’s Coming Along Great.

Lady Kat Chaos: Are you recording "Zombies" in your basement like you have done with your 2011 demo?
Corey: We Took Time Off Looked Around And Found That Building A Studio Where Our Practice Space Is Was The Best Idea! We Now Have A Drum Room A Vocal Booth And A Sweet Setup With Pro Tools And Sound Equipment Its Going Along 100x Better Then Going Into A Studio Because We Are Able To Do Things On Our Time And Be Able To Find Our True Sound!

Lady Kat Chaos: You'd been looking for a place for some time. Glad you guys found a place to rehearse. What Pro Tools have you been using and what new sound equipment have you purchased to help get the sound you want?
Corey: It’s Been A Super Long Search And It Has Finally Paid Off. High Quality Vocal Mic, Drum Mics And Cymbal Mics Along With A New Sound Board (Pro Tools 10 Or 11). We Just Got It And Its Super Fun To Play With!

Lady Kat Chaos: While playing around with it have you found the sound you wanted for Zombies?
Corey: We Have Finally Found The Raw Live Feel We Have Looked For! We Try To Record What We Sound Like With No Sugar Coating. We Want You (The Fans) To Hear What You Would Hear At A Show. We Want To Bring Back That 90s Feel.

Amethyst Wynter: What kind of kit do you use and what kind of snare sound are you going after and what kinds of guitar amps do you guys use for recording and gigs? I know bands use different amps for recording than for gigs. What about real amps vs software amp sims like Amplitube and guitar rig? What kind of heads do you prefer on your bass drum and snare?
Corey: I Use A Pearl Export Kit With Zildjian Cymbals, DW 4000 Double Pedals, A Pearl Snare With A Reverse Dot, Evens Head Evens Hydraulic Heads (On The Toms), Three Rack Toms, A Floor Tom, Hi Hats 13" And 14" No Triggers. We Use All The Same Gear For Recording And Gigging.

Amethyst Wynter: What size drum sticks do you use?
Corey: I Use 5AN Nylon Tip! They Have A Great Feel In My Hands, Good Speed And They Can Take A Rim Shot!

Lady Kat Chaos: Have you used Pearl all of your drumming career? What do you like about their kits compared to other companies’?
Corey: I Used A Mapex Kit To Start Out Then Moved On To Pearl. I Don't Really Have A Preference When It Comes To Kits. I Normally Look For A Good Crisp Or Warm Sound From The Shells!

Amethyst Wynter: What double bass pedals have you used as a drummer?
Corey: I Used Iron Cobra Doubles When I Started, But Moved To A Lighter Pedal (DW). I Haven't Had The Chance To Try Out Many Others Because I Really Enjoy The Feel Of The DWs.

Lady Kat Chaos: How long did it take you to decide on purchasing your Pearl Export Kit?
Corey: Actually The Drum Kit (Pearl Export) Is The Lead Singer’s (Austin Hurd) Kit. He Is Also A Drummer! (The Pearl Has Such A Warmer Sound Then My Mapex And Matches Up With Blakes Guitar Much Better). When I Joined The Band He Stepped Down As The Drummer And Focused His Time On Working On His Vocals. I Still Own A Mapex Kit For Practice! So I Had No Choice In The Color But I Love Blue!

Amethyst Wynter: My kit’s a Percussion Plus blue kit with a Pearl snare with Pearl SS head on top and normal percussion, plus toms and floor tom with just normal white coated heads. But you might like this one my hihat stand is a Mapex Transmission pedal that has a pedal that swivels to be the hihat’s pedal as well as the second double bass pedal.We use Sabian and Zildjian and a Ludwig cymbal I found that has a very unique sound. It’s a crash but has a china sound to it as well. It’s crisp and doesn’t have a lot of sustain.
Lady Kat Chaos: What would you suggest to new drummers about keeping it from moving? Spikes on the legs of your bass drum, velcro on pedal boards or a rug?
Corey: I Did Some Research On The Pedals Before I Bought (YouTube Was A Huge Help). I’ve Always Liked Iron Cobra But The Foot Boards Are Heavy And Slow. No Offense To Iron Cobra Users Out There But I Enjoy The Speed I Get From DW. I Always Have A Drum Rug With Spikes And Velcro, I Use It All.

Amethyst Wynter: How long have you been playing drums?
Corey: I Have Been Drumming For 13 Years. I Was 12 When My Parents Bought Me My First Mapex Kit! I Used To Tape My First Kit To The Concrete In My Parents Basement.

Amethyst Wynter: Who’s your idol as far as drummers; the one drummer you look up to? Mine would be Adrian Eraldson or however you spell his last name. He was Cradle Of Filth’s drummer during the good CDs, then went to Netherbird.
Corey: I Always Followed Mesuggah’s Drummer Just For The Way He Sets Up His Kit. I Have Never Looked Up To Another Drummer. I’ve Just Always Wondered If I Could Drum What They Were Drumming. I Can’t Read Sheet Music And Never Took A Lesson And Always Go For My Own Sound And Techniques. I Use Evens Heads And Change Gig Heads Not Too Often; Only When Needed To Keep The Sound. I Practice Two And A Half Hours Every Day Just To Stay Sharp And It’s A Kick Ass Work Out. I’ve Never Had A Dead Snare; I Hope I Never Do.

Lady Kat Chaos: What is the biggest mistake you've made while setting up your kit before you took the stage? What are your thoughts about using a venue’s kit? How do you adjust?
Corey: I’ve Knocked Over Cymbals While Playing And My Snare Fell In The Same Show! I’ve Never Had The Chance To Play On A Venue Kit And I Would Get It Done. I Love New Kits And Getting A New Feel, New Sound, New Groove. In A Live Show I’m Going To Give You My Best No Matter What Kinda Kit!

Lady Kat Chaos: New drummers don't always realize that your snare wires get worn out or “stretched out” after playing a lot. Have you ever said, what the hell is all that rattling?
Corey: OH YEAH! But Haven't Said That In Awhile Tho!

Lady Kat Chaos: Did you ever have an issue with replacing your resonant heads on toms?
Corey: Not At All! They Normally Go On Smooth And Sound Great!

Lady Kat Chaos: When tuning your drums when needed did your tension rods ever strip?
Corey: Only Once On My Floor Tom! The Screw Actually Broke In Half Due To It Being Rusty And Old As Hell!

Lady Kat Chaos: Not many know drummers have a lot of maintenance to keep up with their kits and it can become costly. What steps do you take when it comes to tuning?
Corey: Drumming Has Cost Me A LOT Of Money And Time Fixing Problems! I Normally Go By The Shell Tone To Tune My Toms And Snare I Normally Like A Tight Quick Snap Like A High School Marching Band Snare Drum Sound!

Lady Kat Chaos: Make sure to watch the hard rim shots; they can be painful. You also need to be aware of high and low sounds. Do you have a full mental picture in your head?
Corey: Some Times Rim Shots Can Go Wrong And Yes It Gets Painful! I Am Very Aware Of My Drums Pitch Range! I Always Have A Mental Picture In Your Head. If You Don't I Don't Think You’re A True Drummer! I Always Have Drumming On The Mind! I Am Always Wondering If I Can Drum What The Next Guy Is Drumming Or How I Can Re Create It My Way Or What Twists I Would Add!

Lady Kat Chaos: During your sound check, you not only use the opportunity to get the proper sound, but also as a chance to warm up and practice a bit. What if the gig is running late and sometimes they don't give you a sound check, does it piss you off?
Corey: I Always Use That Time To Warm Up The Kit And ME. It Gets Me Ready For The Feel Of The Venue Crowd And The Sound Of The Kit That Night!

Lady Kat Chaos: When you listen to another drummer, what do you listen for?
Corey: Timing Mostly! Drum Fills And Pedal Techniques! Stick Tricks Don't WOW Me! I Feel That They Take Time Away From Your True Focus, That Next Bad Ass Drum Fill Or Solo!

Lady Kat Chaos: All drummers have their own style of playing; some drummers you enjoy don't always reflect your taste or style of playing. Which drummers fit your taste?
Corey: Tommy Lee (Because I Love That Old School Feel He Puts On Everything!), Meshuggah’s Drummer. Volume’s Drummer As Well I Like Djent Drummers! I Like The Off Beat Style!

Lady Kat Chaos: Do you use lyrics as a guide to your drumming?
Corey: Depends On The Song! We Have Three Songs Where I Use The Lyrics To Activate Drum Fills Or Mini Solos. The Others Are About Matching Up With The Guitar!

Lady Kat Chaos: Which three songs do you use lyric-wise?
Corey: Tattoo Heroin, Suicidenial, Murderzine!

Lady Kat Chaos: Do you still perform your song Evil Seed and have you thought about re-recording it since 2011?
Corey: That Song Was Recorded With Old Members! We Might Look Into It In The Near Future! We Do Not Perform That Song Live!

Lady Kat Chaos: The songs that were done with past members did you decide on trashing them or have you kept any older material and reworked it?
Corey: We Are Still Talking About That! You Never Know They Might Be Surfacing Soon!

Lady Kat Chaos: Would you say your song Tattoo Heroin is one of the most intense songs that fans go crazy over?
Corey: We Have Three Fan Favorites: Zombies, Tattoo Heroin, And Truthful Lies! They Seem To Really Get The Crowd Involved!

Lady Kat Chaos: Which are your favorite songs and why?
Corey: All Of Them! Because I’ve Been On Stage Before As A Beat Boxer And Was Never Satisfied With What I Was Doing Or How I Was Performing! But With Me Sitting Behind My Kit And Creating Music I Truly Love! I Feel Like I Am Giving The Fans A Piece Of Me Every Song Which Is Why I Love Them All!

Lady Kat Chaos: Even as musicians we aren't always satisfied. Are there any themes and concepts that the lyrics to your music revolves around?
Corey: The Lyrics Revolve Around Issues Like Addiction, Up And Down Relationships, The Government, Crazy Life Styles, Good/Bad Choices And Much More!

Lady Kat Chaos: Do you think great lyrics are a dying art today and how important are lyrics to you?
Corey: I Do And Lyrics Are What Let You Connect With The Band If You're Having A Bad Day. The Lyrics Might Help You Push Thru, Or If Your Day Is Fantastic The Lyrics Might Lift Your Spirits Even Higher!

Lady Kat Chaos: Today with the newer generation when I talk with some of my daughter’s friends some of them only care about how fast the guitarist or drummer is. What you would tell the generation today about each part of the band’s music?
Corey: A Band Should Be A Group Of People Who Feed Off Of Each Other’s Talents, Not One Guy Carrying The Group With His Talent! The Drummer Or Guitarist My Be God Like, But That Doesn’t Make Up For The Rest Of The Group Being Off Time, Off Key Or Just BAD At Playing Music!

Lady Kat Chaos: Let's say you received a bad review, how would you react: okay they had a good point there so let’s work on it, of fuck them they don't have a clue what they are talking about or don't bother reading reviews? Who is responsible for writing Stop Sign Riot’s lyrics?
Corey: Austin Hurd Writes All The Lyrics! All Feedback Is Welcome! Even If You Wanna Say We Suck! I Love Reading The Reviews; It Lets Me Know What People Are Thinking. I Know People Aren’t Shy On The Internet When It Comes To Bashing Or Showing Their Love And Support For A Band! I’ve Been A Drummer For A Long Time; A Lot Of People Told Me To Quit But Still I Push On! Proving Those Bad Reviews Wrong Is Always A Goal For SSR!

Lady Kat Chaos: Why have individuals told you to quit? Some individuals just don't get it. Music is runs through our veins; it’s our life.
Amethyst Wynter: If people are hating that just means you’re doing your job and getting people’s attention, even if its negative. That just means there are others who enjoy your music
Corey: Time Away From People Who Were Close To Me, Always Practicing And My Family Hating It And Having No Beliefs In Me What So Ever. I Have Sacrificed A Lot To Get Where I Am At Today. Some Steps Have Been Harder Than Others But I Have Enjoyed The Ride!

Lady Kat Chaos: When having your own family there are some battles you tend to face. I think many of us have gone through it because they don't fully understand. I had an ex tell me it’s either him or Obscure Chaos. I guess we can see which won. If you had to express yourself about what music means to you, what creating music means to you, what a band means to you and your strive to carry on because this is who you are, what would you say to those who are now facing the same issues?
Amethyst Wynter: If it’s a dream; never give up. Love can still be found; if someone truly loves you they will never let you give up on your dreams.
Corey: Just Keep Going. Don't Give Up Just Because Someone Else Thinks You Should!

Amethyst Wynter: Sounds like my husband. He went from not having anything and no one giving him a chance to having any instrument and sound and piece of musical gear you could imagine and a college degree in music production. Normally the ones who have everything handed to them and bought for them by their parents think they are the greatest, can’t play a lick to save their lives, but somehow still have a huge ego. What I hate is music fans as well as bands are all genre specific now and you’re not a true fan unless you only listen to one specific kind of music. If you listen to black metal you better not listen to anything that’s not black metal or you’re a poser. Why not just enjoy music in general?
Corey: I Listen To The Radio Sometimes Just To Switch It Up! Every Thing But Country; I Just Can’t Get Into It!

Lady Kat Chaos: That has been going on for so many years. If you like this you can't like this style. I say fuck everyone on that one. Do your history of music and see where a lot of it stems from. Geeze, and how many musicians change their stage name and do completely different side projects. I know you guys were at one point working on an EP; did it ever come out?
Corey: It’s In The Works Now. We Finally Have A Great Spot To Record So Expect Much More.

Amethyst Wynter: If you need mastering the studio my husband owns masters music for ten dollars a song. He specializes in rock and metal and won’t stop till you’re 100 percent satisfied.
Corey: Thank You Amethyst! We Will Definitely Look Into It!

Lady Kat Chaos: How many songs will you be recording for your EP? Do you have a name for it yet?
Corey: We Don't Have A Name Yet. There Are Maybe Six Songs. We Are Still Writing So We Will Have To See What Happens.

Lady Kat Chaos: Do you guys write individually or together?
Corey: Together We Have A Great Chemistry When We Are All In The Same Room Jamming Writing And Talking It All Out! We Kick Some Serious Ass When It Comes To Writing Songs. They Come Together So Well It’s Amazing!

Lady Kat Chaos: What value do you place on these characteristics within your music? Do you set out with the intention of exploring different realms in metal and rock and what would you like to go more depth with this release? How would you describe your own style of music for those who never heard you before?
Corey: Our Style Is More 90s With A Modern Edge! If You Have Never Heard Us Before You Probably Won’t Hear Anything That Matches It! It’s Hard To Explain Our Style Or What We Will Be Experimenting With!

Lady Kat Chaos: I notice how hard you guys promote your shows... you make tons of flyers and go out to hand them out. I know that one of your shows got cancelled after you did a ton of promoting for it. How did you handle that situation? Where can one contact you for booking?
Corey: We Handle Cancelled Shows Very Well.We Are Fine With Getting Bumped As Well Its Life And Shit Happens! Sometimes I Think Its Misleading But At The Same Time It Shows The People That Will Take The Time To Check Out The Shows You’re Booking Or What Kinda Shows You’re Putting On. For Booking Stop Sign Riot Call Corey Savage At (402) 316-8631 Or Message Me On Facebook Or Reverbnation.com.

Lady Kat Chaos: How important is promoting to you and how many hours would you say would spend on promoting on social media sites, pages and blogs besides traveling to hang up flyers and handing them out. Which do you feel draws more attention to your band, face to face or the internet?
Corey: The Internet Gets My Band Everywhere. We Have Gone From 100 Likes To 700 In The Past Three Months. I Promote Very Hard Because This Is My Career Choice. And I’m Making Sure I Made The Right One By Pushing As Hard As I Can And Showing The World Our Music! Face To Face Works As Well. People Enjoy Our Flyers And We Make A Lot Of Them Because We Know If A Person Sees 2 Of Them They Might Blow It Off But If They See 20 Of Them They Might Give The Show A Chance!

Lady Kat Chaos: Speaking of local bands from your area who would you recommend to check out?
Corey: Furiosity, Splitline, Moltron, Megaton, Sherry Drive, Vizagoth, Devour Once Dead, Stalemate, In The Attack, Grumble Rockband, Beauty Killed The Beast. I Hope I Didn’t Forget Anyone!

Lady Kat Chaos: Last month you heard some good news from Tate Music Group. Please elaborate.
Corey: We Have Contract Details And We Are Looking It Over As We Speak!

Lady Kat Chaos: Good luck with that. Colleen Maloney a co-owner told me to say hello to you guys and is dying to know the story behind your band name?
Corey: Tell Her To Get To Feeling Better! Stop Sign Riot Was First Going To Be Called Subject To Change But It Was Taken So The Older Members Said Lets Just Call Ourselves Stop Sign (As A Joke) And They Couldn't Copy Right That So Austin Said Why Not Just Call Ourselves Stop Sign Riot And Bam It Was Done! The Birth Of Stop Sign Riot! I’m Going To Guess That The City Put A Stop Sign At A Red Light And People Rioted Over It.

http://www.facebook.com/StopSignRiot
http://www.Reverbnation.com/stopsignriot

Band Interview: Mortuus Sum

Interview with Nick Yngve of Mortuus Sum by Lady Kat Chaos, Colleen Maloney and Chris Meyer, February 10, 2014

Lady Kat Chaos: Hails Nick! Thanks for taken time for our live FB interview. You have a lot going on at the moment. How far a long are you with the writing and recording process of your forthcoming first full-length album, “Vargavinter"?
Nick Yngve: First of all, thank you for this interview! It's an honor for me to talk to my big sis!!!! Hehehe! The album is going pretty well. All the guitars and bass are done and all is left, are the physical drums (I have demos with drum machine first) and vocals to be recorded.

Colleen Maloney: Hey sunshine! Just dropping by to say Good Luck with your interview. What studio are you recording your new album?
Nick Yngve: Hi!!!! Nice to have you with us! All the guitars and bass are recorded in my home studio, the vocals in the singer's studio and the drums in another! We are all over the place for this one!

Lady Kat Chaos: Do you use Soundcloud or something similar to transfer each track to combine them together?
Nick Yngve: We use Dropbox and e-mails mostly.... It needs time though, but we get the job done.

Lady Kat Chaos: Why are you using a drum machine compared to using your full drum kit?
Nick Yngve: I use a drum machine for the pre-production, so I can record the guitars and the bass player can record the bass... After that, I go to a studio and record physical drums and last we record the vocals...

Lady Kat Chaos: How would you compare the sounds from a drum machine to a full kit? Have you ever ran into issues with not catching the same feel?
Nick Yngve: A drum machine is easy if you want to make drums with not many things playing. Just some simple rhythms to record on top the guitars and bass. Of course if you work on a track a lot of time, you can make a full album, but the sound will not be the same as physical... I use a Boss Dr-880 drum machine for the pre-production. The sound is NOT AT ALL the same. No way can it be compared to physical drums! I will not change that for the world!

Lady Kat Chaos: Indeed, they don't sound the same. What pro-tools are you using?
Nick Yngve: I am using Cubase 5 only and Amplitube for the guitars.

Lady Kat Chaos: Metaphorically, "Vargavinter" means "wolf winter" or "very cold winter" but it also reminds me of Thyrfing, track "Vargavinter", the Folk Country band Vargavinter from Sweden or tale of "Clan of Vargavinter". How did the name of your album come about and what is the meaning to you?
Nick Yngve: The meaning is indeed the "winter wolf". The song is about the wolf from the story of Leonidas of Sparta. When a Spartan is a boy, they leave him out in the cold and woods and he must kill to survive. Leonidas had to fight a wolf to survive. So the song is about this story. Also I like winter a lot... the feeling it has... everything... I thought it suited the album and music very nice!

Lady Kat Chaos: Some fear wolves, have you ever felt threatened by wolves?
Nick Yngve: Unfortunately, I have never seen a wolf.... When I do though, I think it will be PERFECT!!!!!! I totally respect those animals... for the society they have, the whole wolf pack, the respect to one another... Very beautiful beasts and so noble at the same time! I don't know if I will be afraid, but I surely want to see a wild wolf....

Lady Kat Chaos: Wolves are amazing. How many songs are your recording for your album and are you writing new songs or will you be adding the song off your promo demo or the songs you used on two splits?
Nick Yngve: The album will have 6 or 7 songs in it. I will contain the song "Mortuus Sum" from the promo re-recorded and the song "Vargavinter" from the latest split also re-recorded and 4 or 5 new songs. Until now there are 4 new, but in the end, I might add a 5th one!

Lady Kat Chaos: What changes will you be making to the song, "Mortuus Sum"?
Nick Yngve: The drums will be different, the singer will be different... The bass player was singing for the promo, but now the new singer will do the vocals. Also the sound will be much better!

Lady Kat Chaos: Many songs you have written deal with themes of Ancient Greek Heritage and Mythology, Ancient Cultures, Darkness, Death, and Religions. What themes will you be writing about for this album that you're willing to discuss?
Nick Yngve: The song "Mortuus Sum" is about Lilith. The song "Vargavinter" is about a wolf and Leonidas as I mentioned above and the other songs will be about various subjects, about religion mostly. The Ancient Greek heritage and mythology theme, will appear mostly in the second album... We have a lot of time until we get there though!  I should tell you, that I have already 2 songs written for the 2nd album... It will totally different music wise. The band will take a turn into more Swedish black metal style than the Norse style of the first album.

Lady Kat Chaos: I know that you write most of the music and Banshee writes all the lyrics. Will your new vocalist be contributing to the lyrics as well?
Nick Yngve: I don't think so. Banshee is writing all the lyrics for Mortuus Sum. The singer is alright with that, so we are all ok! And yes, I write all the music. This doesn't mean though that the other members are not free to write as well. They are completely free to send me riffs or songs and if I see that they fit Mortuus Sum, these songs will be recorded.

Lady Kat Chaos: Does your lyricist get ideas from your ideas, thoughts and your own philosophies?
Nick Yngve: She is free to write about anything she wants, but we discuss it first anyway. We always talk about the vision I have about every song and she contributes with ideas and lyrics. Yes I have my own philosophy, but she is free on that.

Lady Kat Chaos: How long have you been working with her?
Nick Yngve: Banshee is with the band since 2012!

Chris Meyer (Aberration Nexus): Hey guys, sorry to butt in. Nick, I'm not really up on your history only recently discovering Mortuus Sum. Was this a solo project? If so, what prompted the shift to full band?
Nick Yngve: Hey Chris!!! Glad you joined! The band started as a solo project, because I was involved in another band (Acherontas) and I didn't have much time to focus on Mortuus Sum. After I left Acherontas, I decided to turn them into a full band. Chris if you like, you can check the band out at www.facebook.com/mortuussum ... I will be more than happy to tell me your thoughts!

Lady Kat Chaos: In a brief history, Mortuus Sum was founded (2002) under a different name, Panzerfaust. Panzerfaust disbanded about a year later because of members leaving and moving. It was about five years later Mortuus Sum has arose. Although, throughout this time period more member changes....why don't you introduce your current line up and the crafts they master?
Nick Yngve: Yes of course! The lineup is: Astraeos – Vocals, Yngve - Guitars/Drums, Jim Havok – Bass, Banshee – Lyrics. The first lineup in 2002 was Auren on guitars, bass and vocals and me on guitars and drums. Auren left for Sweden and I joined the army, so we split up. 5 years later, I reformed the band as Mortuus Sum.

Lady Kat Chaos: At the time you created the name Mortuus Sum which is stem from Latin and translates to I Am Dead! Did you feel this way after you left the army and this was the mind state you were in during the birth of Mortuus Sum? How do you feel you have developed as an individual, as a drummer and guitarist over the years?
Nick Yngve: Yes totally!!!! I was really depressed with my life at that time and I was reading about Death themed subjects, so it fitted nice! The development was huge! As a musician I evolved through the years, by practicing and listening to new stuff. As a person, I read a lot, so I believe that I am progressing in a lot of ways.

Lady Kat Chaos: What do you like reading about the most and who are some of your favorite authors?
Nick Yngve: I read a lot about ancient cultures, so I cannot tell you any specific name. Most of the books I read are researches about Atlantis, ancient Egypt and ancient Hellas. Also I am a huge fan of paranormal themes!

Lady Kat Chaos: While reading different books do you compare the same facts that were written, that are completely different from each other and take your own notes? We are always questioning history within yourselves. What is something that you have read recently that has made you look deeper into it?
Nick Yngve: Yes I always compare books to each other. Nowadays, I am reading about the Emerald Tablets of Thoth. A very interesting book I must say. Thoth was an Atlantean priest who was said to have found Egypt. Thoth had many reincarnations, the last of them being as Hermes the Trismegistus. This book made me look deeper into the ancient Egyptian theme, concerning the occult side of it. The ancient Egypt theme made me write some songs more Eastern oriented, but maybe this will be another project of mine in the future... Who knows what Time will bring right?

Lady Kat Chaos: Are you reading the original or the translated one by Dr. Michael Doreal?
Nick Yngve: The translated one!

Lady Kat Chaos: How has Mortuus Sum changed for you as a creative outlet—does the material still have the same emotional pay-off for you as it did when you started listening to Black Metal?
Nick Yngve: Yes and I must admit that every-time I am writing a new song, I am as excited as I was at the beginning of the road! Black metal is my life and I will never stop listening to it or playing it.

Lady Kat Chaos: What are your thoughts about the Black Metal Scene today? How much do you pay attention to what other bands from the past and today are doing? What are you doing differently not to be compared to other bands who are your influences?
Nick Yngve: The black metal scene is huge! Especially here in Greece, we have so many great bands. Of course I will get in the process of naming, because I will surely leave someone out and I wouldn't like that. Unfortunately, nowadays it is very difficult to be original, but I don't care for me. I just write and play what feels right. Ok I will not copy something, but if my influences are obvious in a song, so be it. I am proud of what I have done and for what I am listening to. Keeping up with the new releases is a bit hard, but I think I manage after all!

Lady Kat Chaos: What are your views regarding various sub-genres originating out of Black Metal?
Nick Yngve: It's ok. It gives black metal a different approach in each band. I like it a lot, even though I am a more traditional guy involving the scene. I don't mind experimenting with music, as long as it stays black metal of course.

Lady Kat Chaos: Do you feel that black metal a fad for younger generations these days or one of the last true forms of artistic expression?
Nick Yngve: Black metal is a very difficult genre to begin with. Of course it should be passed to younger generations, but never forget to "teach" them about the Old ones too, without whom, we wouldn't listen to anything. Last forms? I don't think so. Maybe special form I could dare to say.

Lady Kat Chaos: Indeed, they need to learn the roots. How is Mortuus Sum a complete different entity compared to your projects Christfuck and Dizziness?
Nick Yngve: Mortuus Sum is pure black metal. Christfuck is a thrash/black metal band and Dizziness is not a project!  Dizziness is not my band. It is a band that plays Hellenic black metal and I am very proud that I am a member of them up to now! You can check them out here: www.facebook.com/goatmetal666 and www.facebook.com/dizzinessvault

Lady Kat Chaos: Since I've known you for a few years now, how do you manage being a part of different bands and focusing on your own?
Nick Yngve: I have no idea! Hahahahaha! I just do. It's the power of will I suppose. I like playing music, so I always find time to do it!

Lady Kat Chaos: Has your schedule ever over-lapsed?
Nick Yngve: No. Up to now at least, everything is going smoothly and I hope it won't change!

Lady Kat Chaos: Mortuus Sum is a recording band, have you ever thought of performing for a big fest?
Nick Yngve: Mortuus Sum was and will be a studio band only. No gigs, no rehearsals ever! Maybe if something EXTREMELY good shows up, we may consider it, but the fact that we all live in different cities of Greece, makes it very hard to happen... So we stay a studio band and there's no problem about it.

Lady Kat Chaos: As an old schooler, as you know how I get into arguments with a few because I feel the underground should stay hidden as it was in the past. What are your thoughts about this because of the internet?
Nick Yngve: Of course I agree. Underground, should remain underground, otherwise it loses the meaning...

Lady Kat Chaos: As your band came out onto the internet how has it helped you and have you thought about removing your band page to go back to the roots of Black Metal and staying underground?
Nick Yngve: There are some bands that were underground and went to the "other" side (mainstream) and then all of the sudden they were sold out. Other bands, remained true to the underground but continued to gain ground. I respect all kinds of art, but I can't stand it. The truth is, that I thought about it a lot of times, but the thing is that internet is a huge help for promotion. Dropping it will be a suicide I believe. It's not good to say something like that, but unfortunately it's the truth!

http://www.facebook.com/MortuusSum

Band Interview: Miss Cordite

Interview with Arnaud Jay (Bass/Backing Vocals) of Miss Cordite by Lady Kat Chaos, February 23, 2014

OCZ: Hails Arnaud! How was your show?
Arnaud Jay: Hello very fine!!!!

OCZ: I'm sure you're tired after your gig. How long was your set?
Arnaud: Tonight was very short; 35 minutes; because we opened for No Return, a reference in death metal all over the world.

OCZ: Yeah, it sure was a good bill this evening with No Return, Grazed, Rafer and yourselves. Who is charge of your set list?
Arnaud: At this time we create it together With Phil (vocals), Teddy (drums), Elsa (keyboards), Yves (lead guitar) and I on bass then I write it. We played two new tracks from our future album.

OCZ: How did your two new songs go over this evening and what are the titles of these songs?
Arnaud: The feeling was very good with the public and the titles in French are Incitation À L Émeute (Riot Incitation) and Foyer. We play more and more new songs during our dates.

OCZ: Did you play any of my favorite songs, "You Want Her Dead" or "Assis" this evening?
Arnaud: Not tonight; the set was short because of the presence of a lot of bands.

OCZ: What is the current Hard Rock and Metal scene like in France what are your thoughts about the current scenes?
Arnaud: We belong to the French metal scene as a reference in subversive metal!!!! We have a lot of dates in south France and in the beginning of 2015 we will do a tour.

OCZ: Who books all of your shows and tours? Where would you like to tour that you haven't already?
Arnaud: I do the booking. For 2014 I must find again the dates for October to December. For 2015 after the release of our second album I’m organizing a tour for July in France: Lyon, Paris, London, Bruxelles, Nantes, Bordeaux, Madrid, Montpellier, Nîmes, Toulon and finally Marseille.

OCZ: Do you have a band fund to help you do your tours or any sponsors in support to your touring?
Arnaud: At this time nothing but I'm searching for contacts for a tour operator.

OCZ: What's it like for you on tour? Where was the strangest place you had to eat? Have there been times where you didn't have enough money to eat while on tour?
Arnaud: If I manage to organize the tour with a booker, all is included in the travel and bus tour. If we don’t have enough money we will take our own vehicles and the budget for that. We will look for cheap restaurants.

OCZ: What was the most obscure or chaotic thing that has happen to you while on tour?
Arnaud: I remember a time we had lack of power to plug our stacks and instruments. Yves counted “one two three” and at four the power shut down!

OCZ: Did you ever like a band because a there was a female musician you thought was hot and then afterward started to enjoy their music?
Arnaud: The music quality doesn't depend on the sex of the musicians. I find interesting to see bands with girls or bands who compose with girls especially but I always analyze their performance for music and not for their looks.

OCZ: Why do you think that females still have it hard in the metal scene?
Arnaud: Metal must be and remained open for all. I have been surprised by female singers in death metal who have a more amazing voice than men.

OCZ: Do you find it disrespectful when other dudes yell “show us your tits” to female musicians on stage or is France more accepting to women in the scene?
Arnaud: Stupid people are in France and all over in the world. I don't accept this! Women must have the same place as men in music.

OCZ: Which band member would be the serious one, the controlling one, the romantic one, the good listener and the problem solver?
Arnaud: Amazing question. It’s easy for me. The serious one is me and I'm too serious! The controlling one and the expert with his 35 years of experience in music is Yves, the romantic one is Phil the singer, the good listener generally is me again and I solve problems with Teddy and Elsa.

OCZ: As you stated, you're currently writing a new album. How many songs have you completely written thus far?
Arnaud: Currently we have five songs ready to be discovered by our fans in France and all over the Boundaries! We hope to have a lot of fans in the U.S.!

OCZ: Talking about new stuff, you already mentioned you have five new songs. Can you tell the readers a little bit more about them: what will some of your songs be about, will you be keeping the same origins of the band or are you including different metal and rock elements?
Arnaud: Effectively the subjects of the songs are different. We talk about suicide, cocaine, and other subjects. Our style is metal and thrash; It’s my personnel feeling and origins. For the other members there are prog origins.

OCZ: I know you're still hanging out with other bands. Were you a rebel in your younger years and how has music helped you express your thoughts and feelings?
Arnaud: I wasn't a rebel but I love to compose and express our ideas in our music!

OCZ: When creating new songs do you do it the old school way; gathering together for band practice, or do you use modern technology that allows you to build up a song, piece by piece, and then send it to each other through emails?
Arnaud: Both. Because we compose in old school patterns and record all of the tracks to listen to in order to increase the quality. We have samples in intro and outro and send future tracks when we register them.

OCZ: How has your songwriting process changed over the years and how do you feel you have developed as a bassist?
Arnaud: I began as guitarist and after that I became a bassist. Currently I play both but I play bass in my band. In my previous bands I was main vocalist and bassist. So to write my songs I find a subject which interests me and do find the words to express them before to present my song to the band.

OCZ: I was wondering why you have stepped down as lead vocalist and became a backup vocalist for this band. Do you ever feel you are holding back or do you want to focus more on bass playing?
Arnaud: I love the songs and I love so much playing bass. I search for perfection and now I have more time to compose my bass lines. The quality is more efficient in this situation.

OCZ: Because you started out on guitar, it does help with composing songs. Do you miss playing guitar in a band? Did you also decide to play bass was it because it was hard finding a bass player?
Arnaud: I have dexterity in my fingers and it help me to play bass very fast. I have some guitar riffs to use in composition for Miss Cordite. It’s very interesting to purpose them to the band. My choice to play bass in bands is really my feeling, not because it's difficult to find a bass player.

OCZ: How long have you been playing bass for and who are some of your influences as a bassist, guitarist and vocalist?
Arnaud: I began playing bass in 1998 and I played in bands as bassist and vocalist for seven years. My bass influences are Slayer, Sepultura, Metallica, Overkill, Korn and Megadeth. For vocals: Corey Taylor. Tom Araya, James Hetfield, Robert Plant David Coverdale, Ian Gillan...

OCZ: I've noticed that you're into Thrash Metal. What are your favorite Slayer and Overkill albums?
Arnaud: From Slayer I love South Of Heaven and from Overkill, without a doubt, Under The Influence.

OCZ: Are you still a fan of Metallica today? What bands from France do you enjoy?
Arnaud: Metallica is one of my main influences by their reliability and availability on stage! In France I love Loudblast, No Return, ADX, Pleymo, Silmarils, The Temple Of Nemesis.

OCZ: Do you use a pick or finger-style and do you feel that it’s important to learn them both? How have you dealt with callouses?
Arnaud: For me as a purist I play with my fingers. I have more feeling in tech inf. Each string as fast as I can. I have callouses on my fingers and I love playing in slap too. I accept the other styles of bassists who play with a pick.

OCZ: It can be very painful playing with callouses at times. But that's what it’s all about; pushing hard, pain, blood and so forth. Do you still have fun playing live, creating music or has promoting taken some of that away?
Arnaud: All of that for me I think its the essence of the musician. I love the feeling with the public at each date. I love composing.

OCZ: What do you love most about composing? What was the first song you ever composed? Do you have a special place where you like to create your songs? Do you like creating music or the lyrics more?
Arnaud: Composing is for me is very significant because when you compose, you create something from nothing with your feeling and your personality and your technical efficiencies. My first song is very far in time and it was on guitar not bass. I compose everywhere and I don't need special conditions. The studio is very comfortable. I’m capable of creating lyrics and music.

OCZ: Are you self-taught or have you taken lessons? What was the best tip anyone has given you about playing guitar, bass or vocals? What would be your best tip or advice to give to someone just starting out?
Arnaud: I am self-taught at guitar, bass and vocals. As a child my parents gave me the possibility to learn music in music school during two years and my first girlfriend was experienced in playing classical guitar. She learned and showed me a lot of things and after playing in bands I continue to learn. As a consequence my best tip is to always find the time to work to reach technical performances and feel playing the instrument you have chosen. Music is a means to express yourself and technicality is the basis to do that.

OCZ: What bass are you using for both recording and for gigs? Do you ever switch bass during your shows?
Arnaud: Currently I play on Cort strings and soon I’ll be playing on a bass designed for me. On stage I switch my basses. I have the same bass for shows and composing. Soon I will have three basses.

OCZ: Who will be designing your bass? Do you guys have other endorsements, if so who and who else would you like to be endorsed by?
Arnaud: À instrument maker on Marseille in France. I have looked for a long time but there are not enough choices for me. My future bass will be more than an instrument; it will be a tool to work. There are no endorsements at this time but we will be interested in Jackson, BC Rich or others.

OCZ: What would you like to have added to your bass and what can you do without? What about amps?
Arnaud: I have added what chorus or distortion I want to use during the shows. My stack is composed of one head Hartke 500W, one combo with 4x10 speakers and one with 1x15 speaker. It’s really enough because my stack is linke with the table for the front sound sonorisation. I'm designing my new bass at this time.

OCZ: Let's talk about your 2010 self-titled full length. How long did it take you to write it?
Arnaud: This album is the result of different periods of our great guitarist Yves. So I could say that he needed three years Alone and the formation before to write it and record it in 2010.

OCZ: What inspired you to write “Sex Addict,” “Love Theme” and “Star System”?
Arnaud: For Sex Addict the lyrics are really explicit to understand the subject. Love Theme is about a personal experience and Star System is about the system mediatized with special people in the jet set fond of celebrity and success.

OCZ: How has the response been so far? Where can one purchase it if it's still available? What are your thoughts on free websites where one can download your music? How has the internet helped you and hurt you in the long run?
Arnaud: The album is available on iTunes and Deezer and on our new site following the link to Paypal. On this same site you can download tracks of the album for free. The internet is a fantastic tool for our communication and since 2010 we have spread the ideology of Miss Cordite over the French Boundaries to other countries. It’s easier than twenty years ago! To communicate is very simple and depends of the number of clicks you are capable of doing! But we aren't alone on the web and currently it’s a war to make our place!

OCZ: Some metal bands often have a few slogans to motivate themselves in special moments, such as before gigs or during rehearsals. Do you have any?
Arnaud: Not at all but we know how to motivate before a show or during our training in the studio. It often happiness to be in front of our fans and give them what they expecting!

OCZ: Besides music, what else is important to you? What do you like doing outside of music? Arnaud: Music is one of my most important passion. I have other hobbies like tennis, roller-blade, footing, karate, and volleyball. I love going to cinema or traveling if I can.

OCZ: When did the band form and how did you guys all know each other? Introduce the band members and what craft they master? How did you come up with the band name and what does it mean to you?
Arnaud: The band was formed in 2007 by Yves, and the lineup was not the same as today. The drummer, the singer and the bassist have changed. The band name was already found when I joined and I find it original. Miss as a young precious woman and Cordite as an explosive used in the First World War in bands to allow the functioning of the weapon. Miss Cordite has an explosive ideology.

OCZ: Is there one thing you would realistically like to achieve with your upcoming album?
Arnaud: Yes the next album will have a more thrash and metal tonality. Don t miss it at the beginning of 2015.

http://www.misscordite.com

Band Interview: HEXOGEN

Hexogen interview with Pat Bernardo (vocals), Charlie Patterson Jr. (bass), Justin Wamboldt (guitar)

Interview conducted live on Facebook for Obscure Chaos zine by Lady Kat Chaos, Reggae, Brion Hughes and Willy Kizl, 2/9/2013. Reposted with permission.

The band parted company since this interview was conducted but you can check out their material via the links at the bottom.

Lady Kat Chaos: Hails Pat, thank you for doing this live interview. How are you enjoying the process of recording your upcoming EP and what does it involve? Have you picked out a title as of yet, how many songs and when do you plan on releasing it?
Pat Bernardo: First of all we want to thank everyone for your support not just for us but for all bands. I love writing music, and we are putting together a great EP with such a diversity of sounds. As of now the EP is tentatively titled Liberty Never Dies. We are looking at putting 5-6 songs on the EP, but we have close to 20 songs written and several of those recorded.

Lady Kat Chaos: It's all about the bands and spreading them as much as possible! We'll get more into depth about some of your songs in a few. What studio are you recording at or do you have a home studio? How much time will you end up spending in the studio for the recordings of the EP? Were all the compositions ready prior to entering or are you one of these bands whose members like to work on their compositions till the very last minute?
Pat: We are recording with our drummer Sean at his studio, Nobscott studios in Sudbury MA. When I joined the band in September, they already had several songs but we have written several since I joined, a couple songs on the EP are from before I joined and two are from after I joined. It's great that Sean is such a pro and we have such a great opportunity to record for free. We will most likely be getting the final mix mastered with Enoch Jensen of East Lake studios. As far as writing for this EP and future albums, it all comes together very nicely we really mix it up with rock, metal, some death and rehearse quite a bit before recording but it’s nice to be able to lay down tracks as they come to us.

Lady Kat Chaos: How are your lyrical themes going to differ from your past band "Our Final Chapter" to now joining Hexogen in late 2013?
Pat: great question! I feel like my ability has grown quite a bit since the OFC days and even though I am in a much different place nowadays spiritually and psychologically I still have many of the same passions I had back with OFC. There are so many liberties being stolen from us every day and the U.S. is looking more and more like a police state/fascist regime. It just seems to keep growing and growing so I still write a lot of lyrics about government corruption, religious corruption, etc. I may have a more positive look on things than I used to but still love pointing out stuff going on that a lot of people tend to ignore or just don't have the time to look into. Our song Can't Keep My Eyes Closed is about how much I see going on and how so many people don't want to think about those things or talk about them. They want to close their eyes because they are taught to or are afraid of the truth and that's why I can't keep my eyes closed. Sean, Chuck, and Justin also contribute to the lyrics, I will ask them for advice on lyrics and ask them what they think or if they think any lyrics could use some polish, so it's cool that everyone gets involved.

Lady Kat Chaos: Speaking of your song "Can't Keep My Eyes Closed" you've been experimenting with clean singing to growling vocals throughout the song, whose idea was to incorporated different vocal approaches? Do you like spawning from different sub-genres?
Pat: I love to sing just as much as I love screaming and growling, in fact I think I like clean singing even more. I've always wanted to incorporate good clean singing but didn't have as many opportunities in the past so it's great to be able to mix it up so much and hook more people, and clean singing can be just as emotional and as hard hitting as screaming and growling in my opinion. Everyone in the band wants to mix it up vocally so I have a lot of support. For a little while we started going into the direction of more death metal which is easy to do but luckily Chuck has really helped me stay focused on using all of my abilities. Since I started singing with Hexogen I feel like I have improved a lot clean singing wise and that's all thanks to them pushing me to be as good as I can be. I still have a ways to go but I'm happy with what we have been putting down.

Lady Kat Chaos: It's kick ass that you have that free range to show your vocal abilities. Have you taken any vocal training or did it just come naturally for you?
Pat: I am still meaning to get some vocal lessons but I have always enjoyed singing and have had some natural ability, but I do plan on taking lessons and becoming a better singer. So no vocal lessons as of yet.

Reggae: What do you do for a warm up routine if anything? Do you have any vocalists you aspire to be like?
Pat: I'm constantly drinking water and throat coat tea which really helps prevent ripping my throat up. As far as warm ups I will do some clean warm ups going through the scales, and will try to get my blood flowing by doing some calisthenics which helps warm up and loosen up my muscles. As far as my favorite vocalists who I respect so damn much and would love to be able to reach their ability would be singers like Mikael from Opeth, Maynard from Tool, Roger Waters and David Gilmour from Pink Floyd, Bruce from Iron Maiden. Oh and I love Devotchka as well. When it comes to screaming and growling I love many singers and have tried combining all styles of metal vocals. Sorry to keep going on with this question but I forgot Lane from Alice In Chains. He is one of my favorites as well. All of those singers do a lot of great stuff with layering and harmonies.

Lady Kat Chaos: It's always great to sing along to albums (I so can't sing but can hold a tune), what do you do to protect your throat from going sore? Because you haven't taken any vocals lessons as of yet how did you learn to warm up techniques and who may have given you some tips on what to do?
Charlie Patterson Jr.: Don't let him lie. Our drummer brews his own beer. Pat uses that to coat his throat. And Honey.
Pat: I actually bought a DVD years back with some woman that teaches a lot of metal singers, can’t remember her name right now, but I learned some techniques from her on how to save your voice but still get the most out of it. I have been given advice from people like Brian Fair of Shadows Fall, Jesse from KSE, and my dad who used to sing in a Black Sabbath cover band. I ran a booking agency for over ten years and was lucky enough to book some big bands like Shadows Fall, KSE, Blood Has Been Shed, In Flames, etc. so I always picked the singers brains every chance I got.

Lady Kat Chaos: Welcome Charlie! You thought I wouldn't get you involved? Tell us how long you've been playing bass for and who are some of your influences as a bassist?
Charlie: Haha. I been playing bass for around 20 years. My grandfather was a Jazz bassist and he was my hero and inspiration. Musically I love just about everything siding from today's pop music. But a few bands would be The Refused, Kyuss, Nothingface, Clutch and Willie Nelson. And the list goes on.

Lady Kat Chaos: Isn't it get having parents in metal bands. Did you ever go on stage with your father?
Pat: Unfortunately his career was over by time I was maybe 6-7 but he definitely deserves some credit for getting me into music so heavily. Plus it was nice having parents that understand your love of music and dreams of doing it full time.

Lady Kat Chaos: As a bassist how important do you feel that you should learn to play jazz and blues? How has other styles of music make you a stronger bassist?
Pat: If I can be rude and interrupt for a minute I just want to say of the dozens and dozens of people I have played in bands with Chuck has the most drive and best work ethic of them all. He is constantly promoting Hexogen and networking and his hard work has gone a long way and will continue to go a long way, so just wanted to throw that out there and let him know how much the rest of us in the band appreciate Chuck working so hard for us.

Lady Kat Chaos: Indeed, I see Charlie always promoting Hexogen and pushing the band hard. But was wondering why he at first shied away from doing the interview, then again its always great to interview the lyricist to get more in depth with what the songs are about. You mentioned earlier about people closing their eyes to many issues. When did you start paying more attention to what is happening around the world? What has really ticked you off?
Pat: Awesome question! I have always questioned authority and always felt I was being lied to or something was being kept from me. I question what I was being taught in school and was always bored and somewhat of a trouble maker always questioning stuff. But what really woke me up was 9/11. That was the smoking gun for me. I questioned it literally days after the governments account of what happened came out. Now so much evidence is out there to prove the alternative theories are much closer to the truth. Ever since I started researching 9/11 it opened up a Pandora’s Box of the terrible things that have been going on for many years.
Charlie: It's all about what you’re into. I think that Jazz and Blues are amazing because when you learn even just a few standards it opens up your playing ability. And expands your creative perimeters. I like whipping out fun bass runs occasionally in our songs and I feel it helps a lot. Bands like The Dillinger Escape Plan and Candiria got the right idea. There's no set perimeters to the sound.

Lady Kat Chaos: New bassist just starting out what tips would you give to them? At times do you feel that bass players don't always get a lot of credit compared to a vocalist, guitarist and drummer?
Charlie:  Tips???? Listen to a lot of FUNK and soul. Beat up your first bass, go through sucking for a while and stick with it. I never cared about credit. It's just fun. And if you’re worthy people will recognize

Willy Kizl: create song in moment is masterpiece to the creator, publishing is the second movement, as we know every second in each duration of song will mean for a thing, its information we use to make listener knows the point of the song, how much time you take in every second of song to make the song sounds great in each sessions part of song duration in each second brother Pat?
Pat: I think what you are asking is how much time we take mixing? If so the mixing process is almost never ending. Sean is constantly mixing and remixing trying to make everything sound better. I can promise you that once everything is mixed and mastered it will sound great, but we do take pride in our music and want it to sound the best it possibly can sound which will take time but it's worth it. We definitely don't want to do anything half ass. Sorry if that wasn't a great answer.

Willy Kizl: indeed I thank you you've answered my question brother Path, thank you dear Obscure Chaos-zine for this awesome moment.
Brion Hughes:  Hailz all, I just heard "Liberty Never Dies" and I'm diggin’ it! 9/11 was an eye opener for all of us who paid attention.
Lady Kat Chaos: Thank you Willy (Guitar/Vocals at KERANGKENK) for supporting many bands and joining in our interviews to show support. Please give the members some time to respond. Thank you Brion for joining.  I would like to thank Reggae (vocalist and guitarist of Reign Of Terror) for asking questions.
Pat: Also just to make it clear to everyone, I will never try cramming any ideas or theories down anyone’s throat and don't expect anyone to take my word for it, I urge everyone to do their own research and look to all sources and connect the dots, more and more people are awakened every day and it's great but we have a long way to go before real change can happen and the world can be balanced. All I can do is help point people in new directions and not because I want to say I told you so but because I care about everyone and want us all to be free
Hi Brion, thanks for digging our music. And yes 9/11 was basically the opening of the flood gates for many truth seekers. It was a terrible event but they went too far with that false flag attack and in ways it may have helped the powers that be gain more power through new laws that destroy the constitution but at the same time 9/11 opened many eyes and minds and it will come back to bite the real culprits in the ass.

Lady Kat Chaos: Indeed, 9/11 opened many people’s eyes and I know from being there it wasn't a beautiful site at all. I still have nightmares of hearing the bodies hitting the ground. How much research do you do on your own to find out some hidden facts before creating a song?
Pat: I have been researching 9/11 and topics such as false flag attacks, elite blood lines, the Federal Reserve, the Catholic Church, the occult, and conspiracy theories for about 12 years now and have put thousands of hours into researching and reading, or watching documentaries. As far as choosing a topic for a song, sometimes the lyrics just flow and I write them down or I will choose a subject and make sure I know what I'm talking about, what I want to say, and how I want it to come across, sometimes songs will be on a specific event or a whole subject. For example Liberty Never Dies is actually a song that I am trying to reassure people that there are people, organizations, plans in place if the powers that be cross the line to the point we are living in Nazi Germany part II. I'm telling people not to give up or go out and cause violence but also am telling them to be ready and that they are not alone.

Brion: Agreed, so many musicians wrote about it afterwards & spread awareness in their own way which is awesome!! OK, as a fellow guitarist/vocalist, what kind of gear do ya'll use in the line of guitars/amps/effects?
Justin Wamboldt: Hi guys. Just finished reading through everything here catching up.
Charlie: Crate half stack with Thunderbird 4 string. I recently moved to the east coast from Los Angeles where's I left behind my Ampeg, and ESP 5 banger. So I'm rebuilding my arsenal. Occasionally I'll use a Rat Bass Distortion.
Pat:  Brion, as far as equipment goes you would probably want to ask Chuck. But as far as vocals go we don't do any auto tuning because we want a natural sound. We use some reverb effects on some songs to give them a cool sound but for the most part the vocals are pretty naturally mixed. Brion, and Willy I want to say thank you so much for your interest and questions I hope I answered them ok, please feel free to ask whatever you want.
Justin: I have an LTD MH-100QMNT w/ Seymour Duncan SH-5 Custom and an Ibanez RG3EX1, into a Peavey Rockmaster preamp into Classic 60/60 power amp into an old Fender 4x12. For effects not too much. Have a tuner pedal, SD-1 for boost, MXR Smart Gate for controlling feedback, and an analog delay.

Brion: I've only ever used delay on my vocals, as far as guitar stuff, good solid rig!
Justin: The Rockmaster is such an underrated preamp. Dallas from Nile in an old interview called it "metal's best kept secret".

Lady Kat Chaos: Charlie is there ever a moment that you don't feel it’s fun playing? Do you feel that promoting your band takes up a lot of time from you creating and how do you balance it all out?
Charlie: Sometimes I can get overwhelmed but it's not as tough as it used to be. I mean networking is easy now, just gotta have a wifi connection. Back in the day you had to use a lot of elbow grease. The days of the paper fliers and street teams. But I love music more than anything so It's not bad.

Lady Kat Chaos: Welcome Justin! How long have you been playing guitars for?
Justin: About 20 years, however in my 20s I spent 8 years traveling and barely played much during that tie. Picked it up seriously again about 3 years ago. Even the few years before I moved away, I was more into drums than guitar.

Brion: I have three Peaveys and they’re all badass!!
Justin: Yeah, they make some lousy stuff, but there's some real gems out there too. The entire line of Classic all tube rack power amps are awesome. Only problem is some idiot thought it would be a good idea to put the volume knobs on the back.

Brion: I have an old 400 series that's just the loudest amp ever!
Justin: I'm not familiar with that but I used to have a late 80s VTM120 head that would blow your head off. Never could imagine needing to turn it above 3 or 4.

Lady Kat Chaos: Who would you guys like to be endorsed by? If you were to create a signature guitar, Justin and Charlie a signature bass what would you include or remove?

Justin: ESP no doubt. I like them simple. Fixed bridge, single bridge pickup, single volume knob. Either natural wood grain, or a bright green stain with the grain still visible.
Charlie: ESP or GIBSON. Wouldn't change a thing. Except custom art
Justin: Bind as well with a blank ebony fretboard.

Brion: What tuning do you use? Picks & strings??
Justin: bind=binding. We have a couple songs in standard, a couple in drop D, and a few in B standard. I like the 1mm blue tortex that I trip to a sharper point with a razor blade and carve a grip pattern into them.

Brion: Sweet!! I think it brings a whole new dynamic to bands who can do that.
Justin: For strings I use SIT 11-50 w/wound G for standard and drop D. For B I use 7 string power slinks without the high E and replace the f# with a wound .20.

Brion: Why not just use Tortex Sharps? Or is it just a personal thing?
Charlie: I use Rotosound Strings.

Lady Kat Chaos: Pat what type of mics do you like using?

Pat: As far as mics go, I like using a Shure SM58 for live shows or practicing, nothing fancy but it is a standard mic for most underground music I guess and as far as recording I like Shure sm7b or EV re320. I hope to learn more about the recording equipment side of things but to me as long as it sounds good and captures what I want I'm happy.

Lady Kat Chaos: Charlie, speaking of art... Are you looking for someone to create your band logo or are you happy with using the free site cool text for making your logos?
Justin: Chuck is gonna have to give you specifics, but I believe his cousin is working on some artwork for us.
Charlie: Oh no. I actually have two different artist working in some things. My cousin used to put together movie posters for Warner Brothers and is currently Balls deep in getting our EP cover finished and another guy hand drawing graphics for logo/merchandise. I don't want anything anybody else has used.

Lady Kat Chaos: What would you like to capture into your EP cover that also relates to your songs?
Pat: Not to speak for Chuck but his cousin is really gifted and is currently designing our EP, but we also are going to be designing some stuff ourselves for shirts, posters, etc. and we will probably also have a friend of mine Kevin from HeavyKevy productions do some designs in the future as well. And to add to what Chuck just said, as far as having original artwork is important to us. Chuck and I have come up with some great design ideas and those ideas will eventually materialize.

Brion: So how is the scene there where you live? Do y'a'll gig much?
Charlie: I can honestly say The East and West coast metal scenes are totally different. There's a lot more camaraderie here on the East Coast. And Metal is alive and well in New England.
Pat: New England and the tristate area are without a doubt the breeding ground for great metal and HC bands.

Lady Kat Chaos: What are your thoughts about playing battle of the bands gigs? I have seen many of them being set up for and many times have noticed that bring a lot of fans also helps the band win instead of the bands being kick ass and given it all on stage, do you think it’s worth it?
Charlie: I look at it as great exposure for our band. Our downloads have been naughty the last few days. Most battles are fan based horseshit to guarantee venue sells tickets and booze.

Lady Kat Chaos: It seems they run it like the Wacken Open Air Festival. Have you traveled outside of the USA as of yet and if not where would you love to tour?
Justin: I'd love to play Norway and the Czech Republic since I have friends there.
Charlie: I've played in Tijuana Mexico.

Lady Kat Chaos: Justin, do you like playing with bands who are similar to you or do you like playing with a mixture of bands?
Justin: Both can be good, for example the two give we've had so far, all the bands were heavy and I guess could be considered metal of some sort. However we all definitely had our own sounds and were far from the same. I definitely wouldn't like to hear a bunch of clones. I enjoy music from all genres (aside from country) though. The shows at the Hard Rock for the next round of the contest is going to be quite the eclectic mix from the look of the bands in the top ten now.

Lady Kat Chaos: Do you ever find it hard to create music that doesn't have your influences that everyone can pin point or compare you too?
Justin: Well in the past I used to play 99% drop D and too many people said to me "is that a Tool song?" So I started playing in drop D less to make the Tool influence less obvious. I don't really think any of my influences are glaringly obvious. If any stand out I'd be curious to know what people thought.

Lady Kat Chaos: Pat, when playing live do you enjoy when the fans are singing along with you and has a fan ever tried to take over the mic completely?
Pat: Yes I used to love when people sang along I hope we get enough fans to do that with Hexogen & as far as people taking over a few shows we actually had an extra mic so people could sing along we've also had shows where 40-50 people all came on stage and screamed along which I lived & hope it happens with Hexogen too.

Lady Kat Chaos: As a full band some of your influences are Tool, Opeth, Kyuss, Entombed, Between The Buried And Me, and Clutch. Why don't you get more in-depth about your unconventional sounds and song structures you'll be adding?
Justin:  One song we were working on Friday, I to give one part a more evil sound, I was using a flat 5 that I consider the Opeth/Emperor chord. I've been listening to a lot of old Mayhem lately too for chord progression ideas; some of them are so evil sounding.
Charlie: Everybody in the band is influenced by different music. We just all throw our cards on the table and it seems to fall into place. It's a perfect situation.
Pat: As far as influences and adding in more I'd love to eventually incorporate some more prog-rock psychedelic stuff along the lines of Pink Floyd & I also love Middle Eastern sounding music. We are definitely developing a unique sound but since we're all do open minded it seems well always be bringing in new elements and progressing our sound.
Charlie: And I smoke lots of marijuana which enhances my writing ability. I called the weed marijuana.
Justin: Yeah, marijuana is one our big influences too. Yes, an old Les Paul I owned since I was 16. Happened when I lived in Arizona a 5 years ago. Long story that I don't care to explain again.

Lady Kat Chaos: Are you thrilled that in some states that marijuana is legal?
Justin: Absolutely. Back in the 90s I always thought it would happen in my lifetime but never expected such progress so soon. I was pretty disappointed though to see that in Colorado, the legal retail prices are often higher than street prices.
Pat: Yes there is no reason for marijuana to be illegal it's safer than alcohol and nicotine but that's a whole other issue. There are corporations and organizations doing everything they can to stop it from becoming legal again but it has so many medicinal uses and should be available to people without them being labeled criminals, the whole drug war is a scam of you ask me. Since we took over Afghanistan there poppy production has gone from 7% in the world to 97% hmmm isn't that a coincidence.

Lady Kat Chaos: Pat, some bands today fear when fans come onto the stage because of what has happen. How do you protect yourselves on stage and your equipment?
Justin: We haven't had that problem but personally I would be very protective of my gear. I've always taken good care of my equipment and respect others as well.

Lady Kat Chaos: Justin have you ever had any of your equipment stolen?
Justin: I have thieves. If I even saw someone try to take someone else’s anything, I'd be out for blood.

Lady Kat Chaos: Do you have roadies to keep an eye on your equipment while you're socialize with fans and other bands, to help prevent your equipment from being stolen?
Justin: No. Ideally I like to get my gear back in the vehicle locked up. Otherwise I make sure I can see it and if I step away ask a friend to make sure it stays put. It sucks that I have to do that. I can't imagine how someone could just take someone else’s gear.

Lady Kat Chaos: I have seen years ago, not going to mention the band’s name but they put their gear into the van and it got broken into. Their gear and merch was all stolen as well. Do you guys have a touring van or do you use your own cars?
Charlie: I had an old bass rig swiped in front of the Whiskey A Go Go. I learned my lesson.

Lady Kat Chaos: That sucks, Charlie! Was your bass rig ever found or did you get any tips on who took it?
Charlie: No. It was a total loss. It was in the 90s. I still got an elbow waiting for the person.
Justin: Just our own vehicles. We contemplated renting a U-Haul but ended up just driving in our own cars.
Pat: We hope to eventually get a van & trailer. We had one & it's a must for touring do eventually we hopefully will.

Lady Kat Chaos: Did you guys start up you own band fund to help with paying for gas, gear and so forth?
Justin: Not currently, but I'm all about taking any profits from shows, CD sales/etc. in the future and reinvesting back into the band.

Lady Kat Chaos: While I was reading your band page a few days ago, I went to listen to your first track, "Charlie" off your EP but it’s been removed from your Reverbnation. Did you feel the song wasn't fully completed or did you scratch this song? And what is this song about?
Charlie: Sean is constantly mixing so I'm basically posting demos. And when I get a remix I usually repost. And since scrap the old one. Now that LIBERTY NEVER DIES EP is nearly done I won't have to do that anymore.

Lady Kat Chaos: What format will you be releasing your EP, “Liberty Never Dies” on such as: vinyl, cassettes, CD-r, digital downloads etc? And how many do you plan on making so people can have a physical copy?
Charlie: CD and digital. But vinyl would be awesome.
Justin: Most likely CD and digital. I would like to see it available through typical outlets such as Amazon and iTunes.

Lady Kat Chaos: What are your thoughts about people sharing your music on free websites? How do you feel it hurts the band or helps the band out?
Charlie: Sharing is going to happen regardless. It's just nice to be heard at this point. I'm sure the time to be mad will come.
Justin: I think it can definitely help with publicity. I can't really say anything too bad about it without being a hypocrite.
Pat: I think it helps us. Anyway we can get heard helps. I mean if someone hears us as they like us and our EP is available for purchase they will buy it. Plus it will get us heard to new people I mean obviously we'd like to make some $ to keep things ping but we need to be heard by as many people as possible before that happens.
Justin: Someone might download an mp3, then post something saying "Hey, check out this band Hexogen" and one of their friends might like it and buy a CD.

Lady Kat Chaos: It’s hard these days for some bands to release a new EP, or full-length because of the lack of funds and band members are always pulling money from their own pockets to put out a release. What are some struggles and bumps in the road you have faced as a band and how did you overcome it?
Charlie: Like I said. We lucked out into a perfect situation. We get free studio time. Free beer on tap in studio. All we pay for is duplication, mastering, etc.
Justin Wamboldt: Yeah, so far we haven't had any real problems. It's been a good situation.

Lady Kat Chaos: You have written many songs, "Running in Circles," "Dark Desire," "River of Lost Souls," "Sixth Plague," "Scratch Out The Sky," "Divide And Conquer," and "Black." These songs are not available to take a good listen, are you currently working on enhancing them? Will any of these songs be released on your upcoming EP? What is the reason you have removed your demos off your sites and wouldn't you want people to hear how the band has progressed over the years and compare your releases, and have more information and details for interviews?
Charlie: Those songs are now complete and Pat is recording vocals for them. It was cool when that's all the material we had but now that things are being finished its time to remove the training wheels.

Lady Kat Chaos: Charlie, what is your full discography and are your old demo's still available?
Charlie: Hmmmm. My old band Thru With It has some studio material available here on Facebook. I played drums in a garage rockabilly band called the irritations and the album psychoboogie volume 1 can be found on my space. Not sure on other projects.

Lady Kat Chaos: Into some history of Hexogen... Charlie Patterson you're the founder of Hexogen, adding drummer Sean Wertheim (Eye Witness Death Count), guitarist, Justin Wamboldt in early 2013 and Pat joined in late 2013. How did all of you meet?
Charlie: Bands I've been in... The Irritations, Medium, Podunk, 647, Downstroke, Thru With It, Mine That Bird and Hexogen.
Charlie: The magic of Craigslist. I weeded through a bunch of turds to find these guys.
Pat: Thank god for Craigslist. Taiga list one night I just decided to look for some bands and am so happy I found Hexogen. Sorry it's taking me long to answer keep getting booted off
Charlie: Me Justin and Sean clicked instantly. We tried out singers forever. Then Pat came and it was a done deal. We were sold on his vocals quick.

Lady Kat Chaos: That's okay, Pat I understand the situation you're facing. How far do you live from each other and how often do you rehearse?
Charlie: We are spread out in Massachusetts. We get together once a week.

Lady Kat Chaos: It's always a good idea to research band names to make sure they aren't taken, have you changed your name or are planning on changing it?
Charlie: Yes we were the 11th plague but there's a band in Chicago already with that name. Just came up with Hexogen and we are keeping it.

Lady Kat Chaos: When I think of your band name Hexogen a few things come to mind, extreme explosives used in the terror attacks in Moscow, Ian Fleming's Commandos: The Story of the Legendary 30 Assault Unit and Russian punk band PTVP full length album, “Hexogen that was released in 2001. How did you come up with your band name and what does it mean to you?
Justin: Well I'm very into chemistry and energetic substances. I suggested a handful of names that the other guys thought were too sciencey and nerdy. Hexogen is another name for the explosive RDX. We we're sitting our back for a smoke break at practice when I threw it out and everyone liked it right away. So out with The 11th Plague and in with Hexogen. The other was my idea too but I like this better.

Lady Kat Chaos: When did you start getting interested in chemistry? Do you guys drink a lot of Red Bull to keep up your energy?
Justin: Since I was really young, like middle school. Chuck loves his 5 hour energy. I'll drink one once in a while but not that often. Ever since I was as young as I can remember I was into science and history in general. I'm a total nerd.

http://www.reverbnation.com/Hexogen
http://www.youtube.com/Thanatops1s/videos