Studio Report with Body Count's Ice-T

The following article is from Revolver’s October/November 2016 issue. It is on newsstands now and available for purchase in our webstore.

by Jon Wiederhorn

After almost eight years in limbo, Body Count returned in 2014 with the album 'Manslaughter.' For those who thought the record marked a bold return, founder Ice-T says it was more like a preview for the coming attraction.

“We did that album to test the water to see if there was still a market for our music,” says the rocker, rapper and actor. “And it worked. People were excited to see the band, so once we got that foothold we decided to go back out and hit ‘em with everything we’ve got.”

Body Count’s upcoming record, 'Bloodlust,' is tentatively scheduled for release in early 2017, and will feature a mix of mid-paced metal songs and thrashers that will likely up the ante from the band’s previous output. There will be long, doomy intros, multiple rhythm shifts and even a slow, melodic rocker called “This Is Why We Ride.”

“It’s kind of like a ballad, but not really,” Ice-T says. “I could definitely see it getting played on the radio.”

But before Body Count entered the studio, Ice-T hired seasoned musicians, including members of Sevendust, to put together song skeletons for the band to work with. Then he, guitarists Ernie C and Juan of the Dead, bassist Vincent Price, drummer Ill Will, and sampler Sean E Sean entered The Platinum Underground in Mesa, Arizona for a month to reshape the ideas into Body Count songs and work on their own material. They left the studio with 15 tracks, including moshpit scorcher “The Purge” and the brooding title track, which is reminiscent of Black Sabbath.

The only snag in the process took place when the band was riding so high on adrenaline, it failed to realize it was recycling ideas. “Making records is a very interesting process,” Ice-T explains. “You work really hard on something and finish it and then you’ll be like, ‘Yo, that sounds like somebody else’s record.’ Or, ‘Hey, didn’t we just make that record three days ago?’ One time we did two songs in a row and afterwards I looked at them and said, ‘Yo, that’s the same riff in each song.’ So we had to pick one! But in the end we came up with some very aggressive and cool music.”

At the end of August, Body Count flew to Jersey City, New Jersey to work with Will Putney (The Amity Affliction, Upon a Burning Body). Before they wrap, they will also record a yet-untitled song Max Cavalera wrote for them, which will also feature guest vocals from the Soulfly frontman. When of the music is recorded, Ice-T will finish writing the lyrics and tracking the vocals.

“I like to start with hot metal tracks that you can listen to without a word on them and go, ‘Wow, that was just like fire!’” Ice-T says. “The music tells me what the song is about, and that’s when the words start coming to me. Then it’s up to me not to fuck it up.”

In addition, he says 'Bloodlust' will feature political songs, gang-oriented cuts and horror based numbers that all revolve around the central theme of the title track. “Bloodlust is part of the human makeup. Murder is about as normal as love. It’s in our nature to want to get violent and kill, but we know there are consequences. That’s why we like violent movies, video games and combat sports. It’s in our DNA. It’s what we are.”