Photo by Tim Snow
Many people are familiar with “The Big 4” of thrash metal: Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth, and Anthrax. For my money, California’s Exodus is #5 (although many metal nerds may go for Testament). The first time I saw Exodus was with then-new vocalist Rob Dukes, a former guitar tech who had replaced long-time singer Steve “Zetro” Souza. The crowd that night was a little sparse. But over the next few years they delivered three well-received albums and the venues started to fill up again. Guitarist Gary Holt had also started playing with Slayer, a gig which became permanent after the tragic death of Slayer’s Jeff Hanneman.
So it took metal world a bit by surprise when the band announced they would be reuniting with Souza for their upcoming album Blood In, Blood Out. Nearly a week after their appearance at Heavy Montreal I had a chance to speak to Souza on the phone about the new record, his current relationship with the band, and how he feels about performing tracks from the Rob Dukes era.
Blood In, Blood Out will be released on October 14th on Nuclear Blast.
Photo courtesy of Heavy Montreal
On the way to my first Alestorm show I encountered a few concert-goers who were there strictly for the band’s pirate/alcohol-themed shenanigans, but had an obvious animosity for heavy metal music. That’s how Alestorm seemed to be viewed at first in the metal underground: The pirate-metal band with non-metal fans.
Now over six years later the band’s profile has changed. Often when speaking to younger metal fans or even their older relatives, I find that along with the usual diet of classics like Maiden, Priest, and Motorhead, young headbangers are clamouring for Alestorm. A good part of that is the band’s high level of musicianship and a style that dips into the old-school and mixes in a big dose of 80s glam and modern riffs. Their new album, Sunset On The Golden Age, is the most varied (and silly) of their career.
I should also mention that they’re all ridiculously nice, way nicer than they have to be. It seems as if the cult of Alestorm continues to grow one fan at a time. Every handshake, autograph, or moment spent reminiscing creates an attachment to the band. Whether it be at tent-pole Euro-fests like Wacken Open Air, or this years’ Heavy Montreal where I caught up with them, their sets are always over-packed at whatever third-tier stage they’re playing.
One more thing: the lads in Alestorm are also as silly as they are nice, so it’s pretty easy to get sidetracked during an interview. Still, we managed to talk about their young audience, window cleaning businesses, and their penchant for putting out visually ludicrous merchandise.
Alestorm are currently pillaging their way across Europe with Canadian support from Crimson Shadows.
Photos by Eva Blue
Lying awake before the second day of Heavy Montreal I ruminated over my forthcoming interview with Nashville Pussy. Like many a young person in the 90s I was first exposed to the band as they raised a mildly arousing eyebrow travelling across North America with Marilyn Manson and Monster Magnet. For many mainstream critics their Southern rock grooves, trucker hats, and partial nudity didn’t jive with the more polished riffs and looks of the day. Flash forward over 15 years since their underground smash debut Let Them Eat Pussy, and both their sound and look seem like the norm in rock and roll. It suddenly occurs to me that Nashville Pussy were ridiculously ahead of their time.
After their set on the Apocalypse Stage early in the afternoon, I sat down with husband and wife guitar duo Blaine Cartwright and Ruyter Suys along with new bassist Bonnie Buitrago to talk about their unacknowledged influence, their new energetic album Up The Dosage, and how they may have inadvertently influenced one of Madonna’s most successful fashion choices.
Nashville Pussy will be on tour in Europe and the UK throughout October and November.
Photo by Van Leclair
I caught up with Toronto hard rock outfit Biblical after their set amidst the trees on Heavy Montreal’s Forest Stage. Their debut album Monsoon Season dropped in March and they’ve been touring with a variety of heavy bands, grabbing attention from both critics and fans with their personal take on the old-school Southern groove. I sat down backstage with vocalist/bassist Nick Sewell and guitarist/organist Andrew Scott to talk about the “stoner” genre and how the best crowds come from playing on different kinds of bills.
SPOILER: The big news they mention at the end? They’ll be hitting the road for a US tour with Death From Above 1979 in November.