Artist Interview
The following article is from Revolver's Apr/May 2016 issue. It is on newsstands now and available for purchase in our webstore.
by Jon Wiederhorn
The last thing death metal sextet Whitechapel expected when they released their fifth record, 'Our Endless War,' in 2014, was a No. 10 debut on the Billboard album chart. The disc burned with excoriating riffs, melody-free vocals and double bass drumming that often exceeded 260 beats per minute. At the same time, many songs featured simple, accessible structures that earned Whitechapel a new legion of fans.
So when it came to start writing No. 6 (tentatively scheduled for release this summer), vocalist Phil Bozeman, guitarists Alex Wade, Zach Householder and Ben Savage, bassist Gabe Crisp, and drummer Ben Harclerode decided to further expand their sound (and potentially increase their audience) by slowing down and experimenting with new sonic textures.
"I'm not gonna say the whole record is chuggy, but a lot of it is," Wade says. "And there are also passages that have a lot of atmosphere, as well as clean parts that let the songs breathe before we come back with something really heavy." Playing less complicated riffs at slower tempos enabled the band's guitarists to showcase their skills, performing an array of counter riffs, licks and harmonies that extend beyond the constraints of deathcore.
"If you're playing really fast and you try to throw in a bunch of different guitar parts it just sounds like mush," Wade explains. "But when you've got one guy barreling right down the middle and the other two complimenting the riff, it opens up new opportunities."
Once Bozeman saw how excited his bandmates were about the new songs he decided to take some chances as well. So he started augmenting his low grumbles and feral growls with snippets of actual melody. "We all thought it was really cool how Randy [Blythe] from Lamb of God wasn't afraid to try some manly melodic vocals on their last record [VII: Sturm und Drang]," Wade says. "So Phil's diving into that a little and seeing where it goes. He's actually got a great singing voice."
Whitechapel's songwriters first started emailing new musical ideas back and forth in the summer of 2015. Then, in mid-December Harclerode traveled from his place in Virginia to Wade's home studio in Tennessee to add drums to the demoed songs. "That's when everything started to take shape," Wade says. "At first we weren't sure if what we were doing was any good, but after Ben came in I could tell we were on a roll."
In early January, Whitechapel entered Audiohammer Studios with producer Mark Lewis to track drums for 11 still-untitled songs. Then they returned with Lewis to Wade's place and recorded the guitars and bass. As Bozeman prepares to track the final vocals on the record, Wade is feeling more confident than he has in a long time. "I don't know if we'll debut in the top five or anything like that, but if we could reach, like, No. 9, that would be awesome," he says. "And even if we don't, at least we know we've done something we all really love."
The following article is from Revolver's Apr/May 2016 issue. It is on newsstands now and available for purchase in our webstore.
by Chris Krovatin
Few bands represent the Big Apple like Candiria. While their unique blend of hardcore, prog and death metal defies logic, it also exudes a sense of creative vitality. But despite the fact New Yorkers are well-known to be fast-paced, the band's upcoming album will be their first in seven years.
"I love it!" declares frontman Carley Coma. On the phone with Revolver, Coma is in every way a New Yorker—fast-talking, to the point and deeply passionate. "To be surrounded by a bunch of guys with the same creative vision is pretty inspiring. I think it's because Candiria was on such a long hiatus. We missed working with each other."
Everything Coma has to say about recording is laced with respect for his bandmates. "For the most part, we were producing each other. If I heard a bass line that could be better, I'd tell Mike [MacIvor, bassist], or if Mike or John [LaMacchia, guitarist] thought I could do better, they'd tell me. We worked hard to get to this point. One of the most challenging things about being in a band is checking your ego at the door."
While the recording will take a quick three weeks, Coma says the album's concept has been brewing for a year. "It's about a rejected musician who winds up being accepted into New York City monarchy. And in this world, updating your status on social media is the law, and people are being brainwashed from the top of the Empire State Building through their cellphones and devices."
At press time, Coma has just finished recording vocals. But while he's excited to get the album mixed, mastered, and into fans' hands, there's one part of recording with such an unorthodox band he's glad to have behind him. "The time signatures, dude—sometimes I get mad at them!" he laughs. "I'm like, really? Just give me one part that's four-four!"
Revolver's April/May issue featuring Zakk Wylde hits newsstands today! It is also available for purchase in our webstore. You can view the cover below, which was photographed by Travis Shinn.
The April/May issue also features Rob Zombie, Amon Amarth, Deftones, Halestorm, Otep, The Word Alive, Sixx:A.M., and so much more! Click here to see a full preview.
The following is an excerpt from the Deftones feature in the April/May issue of Revolver. Here, Deftones' Chino Moreno talks about how they were in no rush to complete 'Gore,' why inter-band flare-ups are a good thing, why collaboration is necessary, and more.
To read the rest, pick up the new issue on newsstands April 5 or get your copy here. Story by Jon Wiederhorn.
"We were in no rush to finish the album this time, "Moreno says. "We wanted to make sure the music came out the way we wanted it. But also, we wanted to find a balance between our home life and band life. When we get together most of us have to stay in hotel rooms and we're away from home for a while. This time we didn't feel it was necessary to schedule long-winded sessions where everybody gets tired of being there. We wanted to keep the process refreshing."
Unlike the many groups that enter the studio with partially or completely assembled songs, Deftones didn't write a note for 'Gore' until they got together in their practice space. That can be a recipe for disaster for some, but while they worked together Deftones concocted 16 songs, 11 of which made the record. They wrote 70 percent of the core structures for the album during the first two sessions and in months that followed they refined the music and augmented the songs with effects, like the swarms of feedback that opens "Prayers/Triangles" and the rapid flutter of rewinding analog tape that ends "Acid Hologram."
"It was cool because a few months after we did something we could go back and re-examine it and reflect or inject something totally different," Moreno says. "We didn't just present an idea and say, "OK, here it is.' And I think that gave the songs real staying power. If we still liked something three months after we wrote it, we considered that a good sign."
As Deftones have learned from decades of working together, there's usually an emotional price for creativity. These days, no one storms out of the studio or blows off recording sessions, but even at their most productive, the writing sessions are still fraught with tension.
"These little flare-ups happen every time we get in a room to write," Moreno reveals. "We've gotten used to it. There's a push/pull that happens between me and Stephen, and it's definitely a challenge to deal with at first. But if we feel too comfortable we start to question whether we're progressing as artists and as a band."
"As a band, I think it's a healthy that we have to collaborate to get our ideas across," Moreno says. "Stephen is really creative, but when he's playing by himself he just sounds like everything he listens to. And I'm the exact same way. I don't want to hear a Chino solo record. I don't even like making music by myself. I get very easily distracted and I don't have tons of songs and ideas in a vault somewhere that I need to get out. I love making music when I'm able to react to what someone else is doing and vice-versa. So that's what we aim for, but it's not always a pleasant experience trying to get there."
To read the rest, pick up the new issue on newsstands April 5 or get your copy here.
The following is an excerpt from the Rob Zombie feature in the April/May issue of Revolver. Here, the vocalist answers fan questions on horror and movies for our Going Postal feature such as what age he got into horror, the scariest thing that ever happened to him, '31's rating, and much more.
To read the rest, pick up the new issue on newsstands April 5 or get your copy here. Story by Richard Bienstock.
At what age did you realize that you were into horror?
—Scott Riffle
I was pretty little. I can remember being into it by kindergarten, for sure. I remember being excited to go to the chamber of horrors at a wax museum, or the haunted mansion at Disneyland. And there was always a lot of horror stuff around on TV, because at that time The Addams Family and The Munsters were really popular. And I loved it all.What is the scariest thing that ever happened to you?
—John Spangler
The only really scary thing I can remember happening was about 20 years ago, when we had a pretty major earthquake in L.A. I'd never felt an earthquake before. I was sleeping, and all of a sudden it literally felt like the house was possessed. Everything was falling and shaking. That was pretty freaky because it takes a minute to wake up and even comprehend what's happening.Why did you cut your current movie, '31,' down to an R rating? Was it because you wanted it to be seen in theaters? Do you consider that "selling out"?
—Ryan Swantek
Well, I wanted it to be seen, period. People don't really know how that goes. They're like, "Hey, man, you should just fuck the system!" Yeah, alright. It doesn't work that way. When you make a movie there's millions of dollars involved. You've signed contracts to deliver an R-rated movie. You can't exactly take millions of dollars and go do whatever you want. Creatively you can, to some extent, but there are always parameters. But as far as cutting 31 down to an R rating, I've done that with every one of my movies. It's no big deal. And eventually the unrated version will come out on DVD or whatever. That's why I don't really care. As long as the cuts don't ruin the movie, and I don't think they did by any means.You've done music, movies, and comics, all of which have been awesome. Have you ever considered making a video game?
—Adam Ahari
I've talked to people about that many, many times over the years. But, you know, video games are tricky. They take so long, and they're so expensive to make. So companies don't want to make a video game about just anything, because they don't know if two years from now when that video game comes out that people will still care.Do you have any suggestions regarding how to remain creative and inspired in the face of hardships, like cancelled projects or rejections?
—Dylan Rippe
Well, hardship is the best time to be inspired. I always say hunger is a great motivator. It gets harder to stay inspired when life is good. I see that a lot of times when I see young bands that I know have rich parents. There's no sense of survival. And having to make it and survive is the best motivator ever because you have no fallback position.
To read the rest, pick up the new issue on newsstands April 5 or get your copy here.
The following is an excerpt from the Amon Amarth feature in the April/May issue of Revolver. Here, Amon Amarth's Johan Hegg talks about the "Keyboard Warrior" clip, who the Jomsvkings are, writing a movie script, and more.
To read the rest, pick up the new issue on newsstands April 5 or get your copy here. Story by J. Bennett.
When Amon Amarth announced 'Jomsviking,' they did so with an online teaser video entitled "Keyboard Warrior." Starring renowned UFC heavyweight and mixed martial artist Josh "The Warmaster" Barnett dressed in full Viking gear, the three-minute clip pokes fun at Internet haters who rail against the injustices of so-called "false metal" from the safety of their mom's basements. When a pasty message-board rogue disparages Amon Amarth's latest effort—"They're not even real Vikings!"—while chugging neon soda and chomping microwave mystery food, Barnett emerges from the computer screen to dispatch the cowardly shit-talker with a fist to the face and Mjölnir to the skull. Not that Hegg and his bandmates waste their time worrying about the all-caps complaints of Internet whiners. "All bands have them," he points out. "It's a sign of the times, with social media and stuff. Some people get a self-confidence boost out of trash-talking bands or people. It's not something we think about too much, but we liked the concept for the teaser."
Of course, even the "Keyboard Warrior" clip itself found detractors among the basement-dwelling hordes. "Most people thought it was hilarious, but a couple of guys were really offended," Hegg explains. "So I guess we hit pretty close to the mark there."
That result shouldn't be all that surprising, due to the band's unique storytelling. With Amon Amarth's decades-long predilection for unstoppable Scandinavian invaders, 'Jomsviking' is a concept album that tells the story of a young man who joins a mercenary Viking order.
Historically speaking, these Jomsvikings were an elite force of hired muscle in the 10th and 11th centuries. "If you look at Constantinople at the time, the emperor hired Viking mercenaries as his personal bodyguards because they were trustworthy and loyal," Hegg explains. "They were obviously fierce fighters, but they were bullies as well. To get the piece of land where they settled and built their fortress, they just went to the king and said, 'Give us this land or we'll attack.' So he gave it to them."
As it turns out, the 'Jomsviking' concept began as a screenplay that Hegg wrote. "I just wanted to see if I could do it," he says. "I thought if it came out well, I'd show it to a few people I know in the business. So I did that, but writing a script is a long way from making a movie."
When the time came to start working on new material, Hegg showed a synopsis of the screenplay to his bandmates and suggested a concept album. Intrigued by what they read, they agreed. "I think what I wanted to do was describe a man who has a hard time letting go of his past, and how that affects his whole life—and eventually leads to his doom, basically," he explains. "But there is a bunch of other stuff going on—friendship, betrayal and love and all that stuff. Not all of it comes across in the lyrics, because it's only 11 songs to describe 140 pages' worth of movie script. So you have to condense it to the very essence, which is a love story because that's where [the script] starts and ends."
To read the rest, pick up the new issue on newsstands April 5 or get your copy here.
Zakk Wylde appears on the cover of Revolver's April/May issue, which will hit newsstands on April 5 and is available for purchase online right now! You can view the cover below, which was photographed by Travis Shinn.
Below, you also can read an excerpt from the issue's cover story, written by Dan Epstein. In this section, the frontman explains the fan-demanded nature of 'Book of Shadows,' his New Jersey and Bruce Springsteen roots, how he's like George Steinbrenner, and more!
The original 'Book of Shadows' became a serious cult favorite among Black Label fans who appreciated the glimpse of their hero's softer, more soulful side. "It doesn't matter what [Black Label] chapter it is— whether we're with the London chapter or the Boston chapter or the Australian chapter," he says. "Whatever members we're rolling with, someone always asks, 'Hey Zakk—you think you're ever gonna knock out another one of those 'Book of Shadows' things? I really dig that mellow stuff!'"
That side has re-emerged at various points in Wylde's career, most notably 2004's largely acoustic-based 'Hangover Music, Vol. IV,' the 2005 ballad "In This River," which is forever dedicated to his fallen friend, Pantera axman Dimebag Darrell, and 'Unblackened,' Black Label's "unplugged" live set from 2013.
"When we're touring behind a heavier record, a Black Label 'mass' is an hour and a half of the heavy stuff," Wylde explains. "Obviously, we'll throw 'In This River' in there, and then maybe two other mellow songs, but the majority of it is just heavy stuff. So, once you've been doing that for nearly two years, like we did with [2014's] 'Catacombs of the Black Vatican,' it's nice to have a break from it. And with it being the 20th anniversary, we were like, 'Let's knock out another 'Book of Shadows'!'"
Book of Shadows II is a predominately downbeat affair, with songs like "Tears of December," "Lost Prayer" and "Useless Apologies" offering reflective lyrics and melancholy melodies that seem to point to some darker things roiling deep in the pit of Wylde's psyche, though the man himself isn't offering any clues beyond what's already there on the record. "I know what the songs are all about," he says, "but they're all open to interpretation. Because they always mean something different to somebody else, you know?"
Wylde plays all the guitars on the album—mostly picking on acoustics, but also busting out the electrics for the wailing solos—along with all the piano, Hammond organ and string arrangements. According to Wylde, the bluesy, rootsy approach of 'Book of Shadows II' comes as naturally to him as cranking a Les Paul through a wall of amps.
"As much as I love Zeppelin doing 'Black Dog,' I love them doing 'Going to California,'" he explains. "Even with [Ozzy], we did 'Mama, I'm Coming Home' and 'Road to Nowhere,' so to me, it's no different. It's basically a reflection of everything I love when we're not listening to the heavy stuff—like The Band, Neil Young, Allman Brothers, Skynyrd when they're doing the mellow stuff. I listen to a lot of old soul, too, like Sam Cooke and Percy Sledge."
The desolate heartland ballad "The Levee" seems to bear unexpected evidence of Bruce Springsteen's influence— though given Wylde's New Jersey roots, maybe we shouldn't be so surprised by it. "You couldn't get away from him in Jersey," Wylde laughs. "All my friends were into Springsteen when we were kids, but I just didn't get it. Me being into Zeppelin and Sabbath and Randy Rhoads and Al Di Meola and John McLaughlin, I'm going, 'I see him playing guitar—I just don't hear any guitar! I don't understand!' There was nothing there for me to grasp onto when I was a teenager. But now that I'm older, I actually dig Bruce."
Springsteen would probably dig him, as well—or at least dig Wylde's hands-on approach to life, art and commerce. "We make the donuts, box 'em up and ship 'em out," he says of having his hand in every aspect of his career, from writing songs to designing merch. "I know a lot of people who couldn't care less about being involved with this and that [with their careers], but I'm more like [late MLB New York Yankees owner] George Steinbrenner, where I want to know what's going on with the trades, what's going on with the drafts, what's going on with the farm system, on down to the uniforms, down to bobblehead day, down to the way the field looks—everything!
"I always tell people, make the music, the band and everything your job," the axman continues. "So when you wake up in the morning, you look forward to going to work. And this way, you have no one to blame. There's no, 'Oh, we got ripped off!' No! It shouldn't happen that way, man. You should be on top of everything!"
For the rest of the story, pick up the April/May issue.
The following is a preview of what's in the April/May 2016 issue of Revolver. You can pick up the new issue on newsstands April 5 or at the Revolver Online Store.
FEATURES
ROAD WARRIORS: HALESTORM
The rockers show us what it takes to live life on tour
GOING POSTAL: ROB ZOMBIE
The vocalist loses his mind answering your letters
ZAKK WYLDE
Black Label Society's frontman releases his first solo album in 20 years
DEFTONES
Chino Moreno & Co. find balance
AMON AMARTH
Business as usual for the Vikings
DEPARTMENTS
BULLETIN
Whitechapel and Candiria hit the studio
Plus: Hardcore dog collars, death metallers go country, Hottest Chicks, and more!
PROFILES
THE BRUTAL TRUTH: Tough questions for Otep, The Word Alive, Sixx:A.M., Holy Grail, After the Burial, and Blood Ceremony!
BANDS TO WATCH Cilver, From Ashes to New and more!
IN THE REAR
We review The Cult, Black Stone Cherry, Metal Church, Devour the Day, Rotten Sound, and many more!
Photography by Travis Shinn.
Asking Alexandria recently released their new album, 'The Black,' via Sumerian Records. Today, the band has teamed up with Revolver to give an exclusive track-by-track of the new album. Check out what vocalist Denis Stoff and guitarist Ben Bruce have to say below and let us know what you think in the comments!
For more on Asking Alexandria, follow them on Twitter and Facebook.
Swedish metal act Avatar will release their new album, 'Feathers & Flesh,' on May 13 via eOne. In anticipation, the band has teamed up with Revolver to premiere their new track, "The Eagle Has Landed." Check it out below and let us know what you think in the comments!
To get 'Feathers & Flesh,' visit their website. For more on Avatar, follow them Twitter and Facebook.