Machine Head destroy London... and my liver too!

So sometime in January I received a message from a good friend telling me, not asking me, but telling me, "unless I had a great excuse as to why not," I was going to London for my birthday. What could I say? It was an unbelievably cool gesture, not to mention a beyond generous gift that a month later I still can't believe I was on the receiving end of.

Next thing I knew it was 2/17 and I was boarding a plane for London. I was going to see my friends Machine Head headline a show in the UK on 2/18 and that was that.

Let the madness begin...Brixton Academy, SOLD OUT.

Robb and Dave with the Silver Award for 'The Blackening', over 60,000 copies sold in the UK. The same album that recently won Metal Hammer's 'Album of the Decade.'

I've seen over 45 Machine Head shows. Including headliners, supports, festivals, one off's...I've seen them in bars, clubs, theaters, sheds and arenas. Seeing them headline in London at Brixton in front of 5,000+ lunatics was surreal. They were all there for one reason and one reason alone. It was one of the greatest gig experiences of my life. From the pre-show meet up with old and new friends, it was nothing short of amazing.

Several times through the show I stopped doing whatever it was I was doing and I just looked around. I let it all soak in, this was such a mental trip to be here and I wanted to make sure it didn't go by too fast.

Brixton as a venue is a very important to the history of MH. They've recorded both of their official live documentations at this very place and as a fan of the band I totally took this into consideration. This is also the site of the last Max Cavalera era Sepultura show ('Under a Pale Grey Sky') as well as live albums by Priest and Motorhead.

The set-list was stacked. I mean all the bases were covered and the highlights were multiple. I know many bands say shit like "we're playing songs we've never played before, or songs we haven't played in X amount of years." We've all heard it and usually those tend to be a let down when they don't appease the fanatic in each of us.

All the touring Machine Head did with Metallica? They definitely learned to not only keep themselves on their toes with "deep cuts" and seldom heard songs, but also the die-hards. Those who attend multiple shows of which there were plenty here tonight.

2.18.10 Brixton Academy

Clenching The Fists of Dissent

Imperium

Take My Scars

Bite The Bullet

Beautiful Mourning

Now I Lay Thee Down

All Falls Down – 1^st time ever played

Aesthetics of Hate

Old

The Burning Red

Exhale The Vile

Bulldozer

Block

Halo

Davidian

After the Brixton show we went to the World Famous Crobar. A place Dave Grohl is quoted as saying he always remembers going in, but never remembers leaving...I can see why. Here in Chicago we have sports bars or martini bars or whatever the fuck else people make up to attract a crowd. The Crobar? It's purpose is clear and concise...you go in, you drink, you rock, you get fucking HAMMERED! That's it.

Walking in there for the first time is somewhat blurry now, but I do remember Saxon's "Denim and Leather" just BLASTING and knowing this was it, I was "home!" At some point the bar was cleared and we were the only occupants, it was a killer way to end such a historic night.

The League of Nations Represent! (l-r)Ugly American with an even uglier hat, Ireland, United Kingdom and Norway. I don't remember that hat or this picture, but all these guys are like family and the vibe? Totally captured!

The above and below tell the story better than I. The above is leaving Crobar at 6:15 am Dave Grohl was right, don't remember a fucking thing!! Below is Big Ben as I saw it waiting for the elevator in my hotel. 6:45 am, no more thrash, time to crash!

A few more shots...

On Friday night we went to see Fear Factory @ the Electric Ballroom in Camden.

I'm not a huge fan of the band, but cannot deny they were excellent. Actually the show was cool as fuck, I got to watch Gene Hoglan jam for an hour and a half! Just fucking SICK!!!! Gene simply stated, put on a drum clinic and I couldn't stop watching the man work.


(watch his left hand...)
Hung out at the gig for a bit afterward and then it was off to a pub called the Big Red. Now we were only going to go for "a few drinks, maybe an hour."

Longest...

Hour...

EVER!

This evening was above and beyond anything you could have ever planned. Use whatever word you'd normally use and multiply it by 10! The Big Red was another place I instantly felt at home in. From the "Americana" vibe of the Chuck Norris and Harley Davidson posters to the GODLY Nacho's...trust me, this place rules!

In the above photo to the right is a guy named Paul Brannigan. He is the former Editor of Kerrang! Magazine and let me tell you this...I just went uber-geek on the guy as we talked shop about every-fucking-thing under the sun as it pertains to Hard Rock and Heavy Metal.

And when I say everything, I mean EVERYTHING. From bands we enjoy to gigs we've seen to dates and albums and people. He is a fucking great guy and he made this fanzine editor from Chicago's world by going toe-to-toe practically the entire evening.

Birmingham, UK 2-21-10

Hanging with old friends and new in Birmingham. Adam attempting a "hang loose" move with his foot which I, obviously found hilarious. The show was probably at least 3,000 people and just as vicious as the London gig. In fact, this was more the size venue I was used to seeing the band in after the grandness and enormity of Brixton.

Both shows had that undeniable vibe the band brings with them, so it was another really electrifying performance. Deep cut "A Nation on Fire" from their 94 debut was an instant highlight as was "Seasons Wither" from their "Through The Ashes of Empires."

2.21.10 - O2 Academy Birmingham

Clenching The Fists of Dissent

Imperium

Struck A Nerve

A Nation on Fire

Ten Ton Hammer

Now I Lay Thee Down

Beautiful Mourning

Aesthetics of Hate

Old

The Burning Red

Seasons Wither

Bulldozer

Block

Halo

Davidian

So in closing, it was a trip of a lifetime. It was a great way to ring in my 39th year on this planet as every single detail couldn't have been executed any better than it was. I got to spend it with good friends/extended family, see and hear some great music, meet amazing new people and had a fucking blast the entire time.

In the immortal words of the friend that made it all happen...

"CHEERS FUCKERS!!!"

R.I.P. Metal Haven 1999-2010

Tis a sad fucking day people. Metal Haven, Chicago's premiere record store is closing it's doors after a decade of service. While I'm not totally surprised , it is a sign of the times isn't it? I am still really disappointed and will miss the place. I've linked some current articles focusing on the end of an era for Chicago Metal, notably one from the Chicago Reader.

I remember my very first trip to Metal Haven a decade ago. Max was all of 4 months old and we took a ride into the city to check the place out. What can I say? It was like finding heaven on Earth and I became a loyal customer from that moment on. Some might not remember, but back in 1999 there was actually another "Metal only" record store called Nightfall Records. One visit to Metal Haven instantly converted me, it was no contest.

Over the last ten years I've always loved bringing people from out of state/country to Metal Haven. People were always so blown away by over flowing inventory and selection. I was and remain proud of Mark for doing his part for such a long time. Metal Haven will go down in Chicago Metal history.

Here's an interview with Owner Mark Weglarz that ran on the Midwest Metal website back in 2007.

There’s several key ingredients that contribute to Chicago being the Metal capitol of the World and this is the first. Mark Weglarz owns Metal Haven. THE Metal record store in Chicago and one that’s been in business now for over eight years. These days they should age record stores in dog years because it’s a miracle each month they’re still here for us.


Metal Haven recently relocated to a new building located at 2003 W. Montrose and what can I say? It’s a major improvement seeing they outgrew the previous location probably six months after they originally opened back in 1999. Here’s Mark, check out the store either in person or on line at www.metalhavenchicago.com you’ll be hooked either way!

Midwest Metal: Let’s talk new location, how’s everything going?

Mark Weglarz: Things are good; we’re finally catching up to speed so I’m happy with it.

Was there a specific reason for the move after eight years?

The reason is really three reasons, my lease was running out and the last six months I was there I could hardly afford the rent. Another reason is I’d outgrown the place a long time ago, there was just no room for new merchandise and moving allowed me to get into a bigger store with cheaper rent! One of the biggest complaints of the old location was the parking and the new location has much, much better parking so that is a huge advantage and I’m pretty happy about it.

Do you remember what was the first record you sold at Metal Haven?

The first record? That is a very interesting question…I do remember the very first guy, he came in about an hour after I opened the store on July 12, 1999. He was a Hispanic guy who still shops at Metal Haven to this day and he purchased like five or six items which is why I can’t pinpoint a specific. However I told him I was going to ring him up twice.

I was going to ring up one item at $1 and then the rest at regular price. So it was a CD or LP that cost, whatever $14 or $15 and I gave it to him for one dollar as he was the first customer and I needed him to give me that $1 bill so I could hang it up on the wall. For the life of me I can’t remember what it was but he’s into old school stuff so I’m sure it was something classic.

What, if any has been the biggest seller over the years at Metal Haven?

Very easy, ‘Slaughter of the Soul’ from At The Gates.

Really? No shit?

The reason why that’s the #1 seller ever is because of the crossover appeal, at the old location I was very close to Reckless Records and they’d draw the punk and hardcore kids and I’d primarily draw the Metal kids and they all seemingly came to to buy it.

So for years and years would just sell, sell and sell. Now that the Metal-Core thing is dying it’s slowed down but for about five years I’d move at least a copy per week, 50 copies per year for five years!

Wow, for some reason that’s not what I thought it would be…

Yeah, it’s been wild. It’s been re-issued a few times once was with an EP, once with bonus tracks and then again with a DVD so that’s also spurned re purchases too.

Let’s talk about Mark the Metal fan…why a store? Some people do their part with a radio show, a magazine, promoting whatever but you chose to open a record store.

The reason why I do a store, the reason why I opened a store is because..well first and foremost I’m a Metal fan and because of that I was like everyone else into this music, I’d go around purchasing Metal wherever I could to find it. Over the years in my searches for Metal I came to this, you can find a lot of Metal at certain places but the prices sucked or you could find good prices for Metal with a horrible selection.

So I’d go all over the city and suburbs to buy Metal and after doing that for years I said to myself someone needs to do this the right way. You need a store with a lot of Metal with good prices. So with all my years of experience in working in music retail including eleven years working at Tower Records, that coupled with being a fan I’d be the perfect candidate to get it done, so I did.

You’re originally from New York, what were some of your favorite record stores growing up?

I used to go to a place in St. Mark’s Place, NY called Sounds. For some reason they had the best used Metal section I’d ever seen. A lot of hole punched promos which I never cared about I just wanted the music. So they always had the newest Metal releases which I always bought and the more you bought the cheaper they were, this was in the late 80’s/early 90’s.

I remember a lot of 4 for $20 deals so I was there every other week when I’d get paid and buy four to sixteen CD’s, that was my favorite place surely. At Tower I got an employee discount so I’d buy a lot there, I mean tons and tons there. So those were the mainstays but like I said it was years of going to wherever I could for Metal.

Were you surprised Tower went out of business?

Not at all. Tower started as a one man operation with one store back in the 60’s and it was run as a Mom and Pop store. As it grew and grew it became more and more corporate. The original owner was disassociated with how the chain was being run and those running it were simply not music fans, they were business people. There’s the disconnect.

I’ve been able to keep this store up and running when a lot of the others are closing because I’m a fan, I feel the same pulse as the people shopping here. I’m not an executive making decisions simply by looking at reports. I listen to what the people want, I know what I want as fan and you put that all together to keep it going. That’s why I’m not at all surprised they went under. I saw that place from the inside, I paid attention at all the meetings, the owner’s name was Russ Solomon who was a great man, his philosophy was stack em high and sell em low. Similar to a Wal Mart philosophy, Russ just got old and had to have other run the company for him and they ran it into the ground.

The fact that Metal Haven, an 100% independent all-Metal store has been in business for eight years is totally impressive. It’s a lesson in perseverance and hard work.

That’s one of the most important things no matter what you do is perseverance and hard work. Every time someone comes into the stores and maybe compliments the store itself or finding something they’ve been looking for or something they did not know even existed, all of that makes the hard work worth it.

Those words from people make me want to work that much harder. I work another job, sometimes more than 32 hours a week in addition to the store so I can pay my bills with that money. Keep the Metal Haven money going towards Metal Haven you know? So I make my own sacrifices to keep this alive.

Where’s the work ethic come from?

I’m Eastern European, Polish. I was raised by my Grandparents and they’re credo was “no one is going to give you anything for free, you have to work hard and earn it”. I’ve worked hard since I was ten years old and I have them to thank for it..

I was at the store one day when Casey Chaos from Amen/Scum called to have you gather, something like all of the latest Black Metal releases so he could just stop in and pay. Who else like that have you called a customer?

Quite a few actually, Krisiun, Mike Amott from Carcass and Arch Enemy but what’s funny is I don’t know who a lot of these bands are, I mean I know their names and the music but I have no clue as to what they look like. A lot of them look different than what I see in the magazines so there’s been a few I might have a guess as to who they were but, you know I just let em shop. All of the local Chicago bands like Cianide, Usurper, Venificum, Nachtmystium all come in. When bands come through town they’ll stop in.

The record store shopping experience is something I still love. It’s unexplainable but it either affects you or it doesn’t. What do you do to make the experience of shopping at Metal Haven unique or just memorable?

Well the store itself I feel is unique in itself, it’s ALL METAL, period! From CD’s to vinyl to DVD’s to magazines to collectables to cassettes from new to used, it’s all Metal. I’ve been doing more with T-shirts and now that we have the bigger store it’s allowed me to work that better than before. I’m also in the process of expanding a bit with some Sterling Silver jewelry items, more books and toys like the Iron Maiden “Eddie” figures and things of that nature.

I was doing that at the old location and it was good, but I lost contact with a few of the companies so that’s another thing to look forward to. In this day and age of downloading I have to look at things that people can’t download like clothing and the jewelry things etc. I’ve wanted to implement a frequent buyer program or something to that effect. I’ve thought about like membership cards but I’m not really into that whole thing. Regular customers I always try to give them a dollar off of their purchases. It’s a thank you for supporting me type of thing…so that’s something I’ve been wanting to do.

Have you felt the hit of downloading? I know people always say Metal is above it somehow as we need the real thing in our hands as well as how collectable minded a lot of Metal heads are.

Yes, definitely. There’s whole new generation of people growing up on their computers and they feel it’s their right to download you know? I can see it to a certain extent, I’m sure that had a lot to do with Tower’s downfall. I mean you can’t be selling CD’s for $18.99 when it cost $2 to manufacture, I can see the disgust in the eyes of the music fans when that happened.

This younger generation, as they get older they’re going to be so used to getting music that way they’re not even going to know what a record store is or was. That’s coming in five or ten years easily. The older generation are going to fall off and the new one will operate totally different.

What percentage of Metal Haven’s sales are vinyl versus CD?

I would say only about 10% is vinyl, but that’s in-store only. I have a list of people all over the country that I update when new vinyl comes in and those are website sales and that’s a good thing. There’s still a lot of people who want their Metal on vinyl only. The vinyl heads are the most loyal for sure.

But only 15-20% of what’s being released is coming out on vinyl these days. I do Ebay too and that’s usually just the hard-to-find stuff that I put up there, but it’s opened the door for me as far as the collectors out there.

What has been the single most expensive item you’ve sold at the store?

I’d have to say it was the [1998-nerd alert] Iron Maiden “Eddie’s Head” box set. I think it was $300 or $325 when it came out.

What kind of support do you get from the record companies?

They’ve been alright, they send promos for in-store play. Posters and stickers and even CD samplers the usual stuff to give away. That’s one thing that will never change the customers love that stuff and it’s apart of the experience we spoke about earlier too. I can’t tell you how many times people have come back in with the sampler in hand to find the full length that they were turned on to.

It’s like a cycle and I love it, I also like turning someone onto something that they really end up loving. A month or so ago I turned someone on to Agalloch and the guy came back in a week or two later to buy the rest of the Agalloch CD’s and he was just so happy to have been turned on to them it was great. That happens a lot.

Part of the Metal Haven experience is also your opinion, you’ve turned me on to stuff and your word has got to be true.

Definitely! Just because something is selling like crazy doesn’t mean it’s good. If someone tells me what bands they’re into I can usually point them in the right direction of a similar band and they usually like it. But I will tell them right off the bat, yeah it’s selling but I’m not crazy about it.

A band like Kataklysm is like that, sell like mad but I’m just not into it. Meshuggah, fuck, the kids love it but the last three have not done a thing for me. I try to be as honest as possible. The last thing I want is for someone to buy something, get it home, have it totally suck and think “he didn’t warn me”. Yeah it’s my job to sell, but I’ll tell someone, hey the new album ain’t that hot, the older ones were better or whatever. That’s how you lose customers, sure I’ll recommend a “dud” or two, but I really do try to let em leave and return happy.

Where'd February go?

I'm pretty far behind with my writing...it happens. I've got some things in the works that I hope to be able to share with you very soon. Tons of stuff happening in the Metal World...amazing new albums by Over Kill, Heathen, High On Fire, Fear Factory (haven't heard the record but recently saw them just SLAY live) and about a ton more.

For now, let's hope these Metallica youngsters have what it takes to hit it big!

Book Review: All Pens Blazing, A Heavy Metal Writer's Handbook by Neil Daniels

Most music related books come with a pre-determined audience, this I find is fact. I mean a book written about Slayer is going to attract one demographic and the chances of that spreading to other areas are usually quite slim. Unless it’s a crossover type of hit ala Motley Crue’s ‘The Dirt’ chances are most have a built in audience. ‘All Pens Blazing’, the latest book by UK scribe Neil Daniels fits this bill to a T. Simply stated, it’s written by and for those who take the world of Hard Rock and Heavy Metal writings more serious than the average Joe.

The book is a collection of interviews with a slew of past and present music writers and their stories of how they came to be involved with Rock and Metal music journalism. So if the names Geoff Barton, Malcolm Dome, Xavier Russell, Peter Makowski, Dave Dickson, Neil Jeffries, Dave Ling, Steffan Chirazi, Ian Christe, Mike Exley, Matthias Mader, Joel McIver, Dave Reynolds, and/or Martin Popoff (who also penned the foreword) ring a bell, then ‘All Pens Blazing’ is about as informative and entertaining as anything out there today. If not, move along.

The interviews are pretty informative, especially the ones conducted with the “old guard” writers from Sounds, Record Collector and Kerrang! about what a totally different era they came up through. The polar opposite of today’s printed word versus those in the 70’s and 80’s are like night and day and the interviews here make that very clear. These writers, well some of them were like actual rock stars, they were there when the scene was in its infancy and delivered the interviews and features making them a lifeline to the music at a time when there was none.

If you’re a student of titles such as Metal Hammer, Raw, Metal Forces, Metal Maniacs, RIP, Circus, Brave Words and Bloody Knuckles, Classic Rock, Terrorizer as well as the titles I mention above then this is a great read and if you’re interested in becoming a Rock writer or just wanting to know more about the subject then the book becomes fairly essential. The only reason I say "fairly" is because people are far too smart these days to listen to anyone other than themselves when it comes to music. Watch for Part II coming later in 2010 with an improved layout.

Happy Birthday Heavy Metal

Today, Heavy Metal turns 40!

February 13, 1970

Exodus: An interview with Rob Dukes

Touring in support of their recently released multi-disc DVD collection, the aptly titled ‘Shovel Headed Tour Machine’ Exodus roared through town on a brutally cold January night. All I can say is the Exodus attack is alive and well people, they came, they saw and they conquered, it was a thing of beauty! I caught a bit of shit when I posted a quick re-cap of their show, saying they were as stong as they’ve ever been, but I stand behind it, 100% I dig Baloff and Hunolt too, but there’s no fucking with modern day Exodus, they just kill live! Post show I sat down with Vocalist Rob Dukes (with a one word comment by Drummer Tom Hunting) to discuss Exodus 2010 and more and here’s what went down.

None But My Own: Did your reputation as the “film guy” of the band make you the logical choice to take on the brunt if the work involving the ‘Shovel Headed Tour Machine’ DVD?

Rob Dukes: I don’t know…I mean Tom (Hunting-D) doesn’t even know to work a camera…

Tom Hunting: (laughing) Bullshit!

Nobody else wanted to do it!


What sets the wheels in motion to take on a project of this magnitude? We’re talking two full discs of material, tons of bonus footage…

Honestly it was me filming my life! It came about way after I had been doing it naturally over the years. What happened was we got the video from the Wacken people when we played there in 2008. Once we saw that I suggested we should buy that footage and put it together with the stuff I’d been filming as a documentary and release it all. I started going through the clips, which is all these things were, just bits from the road and I sat with it and watched it and watched it and it was really funny but it didn’t make any sense.

What I did was I went back and interviewed everybody, I had questions prepared and everything. Lastly I had a friend of mine do the actual interviews so the guys could say whatever they wanted, once that was done it mostly finished itself.


You’ve recently completed yet another successful touring run to close out 2009. Many of the last runs were with Kreator how were those shows.

Oh man, those were very cool, very cool. We’re actually trying to do a European tour with them. The crowds were so into both bands, we got along great with those guys so it was just perfect.


I think you guys are working probably as hard as you ever have, I mean I think it’s great and I hope the results speak for themselves as time continues. How differently do you prepare for shows and touring now then what you did when you first started with Exodus in 05? I’m sure in the beginning you had some trial by error moments, huh?

Totally man, those first few years were rough, I didn’t know what I was doing (laughing)! Seeing as I had never sung before in my life when we first started touring we were playing like, two hours every night! Our former manager was like “you’re never going to be able to do it!” So he took me to this woman for some technique lessons and all that and she told him, “He’ll never be able to pull this off every night.” But you know what? I did.

Yeah I had some rough nights, there were times I lost my voice but I finally went to see Melissa Cross in New York and she helped me get to a point where I can get up there and sing live every night and not have to worry about it. I don’t blow myself out anymore which is a good thing. I caught strep throat in South America, really bad. So bad my uvula was white, filled with pus and it had swelled up three times it’s normal size, it was just laying on the back of my tongue, right? I got up there and sang and 10,000 people had a good time, it was awesome.
I’ve been noticing a lot of kids, I mean a lot of kids are coming out and really getting into Exodus, Thrash, OverKill, Kreator etc. That’s got to be something to see from the band’s point of view.

It’s been really, really good to see that! Hopefully with the next record we’ll be able to like go out and play the whole thing! I don’t want to say we’re going to let go of the past, but we’re definitely happy where we’re at right now rather than counting on the past. So that’s the plan, to reach the kids with the new stuff and then that will lead them to discovering ’Bonded By Blood’ and ’Fabulous Disaster’ and all that. We want to stay relevant right now you know?

I mean compare what we’re doing right now to a lot of records and we just feel we’re faster, meaner, more aggressive or whatever and that’s what we do live. We’re not just out here living off the past and that’s important! Sure there’s places, like in South America where they’ll pay us specifically to play ’Bonded…’ so we’ll do two sets a night, one all current material and one just ’Bonded By Blood’, and I can see why, it’s pretty classic .

What can you tell me about the upcoming album ‘Exhibit B: The Human Condition‘?

It’s fast! It’s dark, the lyrics are really dark and I think there’s some really good stuff on it. I think it’s the best thing I’ve, personally ever done. I mean, I think it’s amazing.

This is record number three with you fronting the band…

Well, fourth if you count the ’Let There Be Blood’…

I’m talking about the original stuff, but we’ll get to ‘Let There Be Blood’ in a minute. But what I’m getting at is your background as a non-vocalist, it seems like you’re a work in motion. Each album has a bit of a different Rob Dukes sound. How did you approach this import third record with the band? Where are you pulling inspiration from?

I don’t know man, I’m really just trying to be a better singer. I think all the shows we’ve done have been such a great experience and that goes to show you what your limitations are, what works and what might not work. I think on the new record we were able to work with my abilities as well as stretching those limitations is something we definitely did.

I do some low growl-y stuff, some real high stuff, some harmonies as well as just some plain ol singing you know? From the beginning to the end it came out really cool, I think it’s cool that my voice is a bit different from track to track. One of these songs is one that I sang over two years ago and we were going to re-record it and I said, “why?” I thought it sounded fucking great at the time so we left it as-is.

I thought with ’The Atrocity Exhibition: Exhibit A’ you definitely stretched things pretty far, your growth between ’Shovel Headed Kill Machine’ and ’..Exhibit A’ was pretty amazing.

Thanks man, I was happy then and I’m happy with what’s going on now. I just want to expand on what I can do and yeah, maybe the oldest of the old school fan might not like it, but what can a band do? You can’t put out the same album every time.

Speaking of the “old-school”, earlier you brought up ‘Let There Be Blood’ and talk about an uproar!! You guys got a lot of shit thrown at you with that album. How did you take it personally?

It’s all music, it’s just us doing what we want to do…I mean fuck everybody else and I mean that. Really, who gives a fuck what you think? We can do whatever the fuck we want! But it comes down to this, you’re not going to please everybody all the time no matter what it is you do. Be it a brand new album of all new material to what they think you should play live, what you should look like and it goes on and on.

So we’re here trying to please ourselves first and foremost. We wanted to hear those songs with an updated sound…listen, it’s unfortunate that Paul is not around because if Paul was here today he’d be singing with the band and I wouldn’t even be an issue.

Something new on the horizon is the recently announced Megadeth, Testament, Exodus North American Tour. This has to be pretty damn cool for you, huh? Unexpected but cool.

Yeah, that’s going to be fun, too bad we’re not playing Chicago though! It’s going to be secondary markets but it’s going to be very cool. I’m going to make an ass out of myself right now by making a complete assumption; but I’m thinking we’ll probably do another tour later in the year hitting major markets. So we’ll see everyone out there sooner or later!

March 01 - Spokane, WA - Knitting Factory
March 02 - Boise, ID - Knitting Factory
March 03 - Medford, OR - Medford Armory
March 06 - Calgary, AB - Big Four (TESTAMENT w/ guests)
March 07 - Edmonton, AB - Shaw Conference Centre (TESTAMENT)
March 08 - Saskatoon, SK - Prairieland Exhibition Hall
March 11 - Indianapolis, IN - Murat Theater
March 12 - Pittsburgh, PA - Palace Theater
March 13 - Buffalo, NY - Town Ballroom
March 15 - Washington, DC - 9:30 Club
March 16 - Baltimore, MD - Rams Head Live
March 18 - Scranton, PA - Scranton Cultural Center
March 19 - Norfolk, VA - The NorVa
March 21 - Atlanta, GA - Tabernacle
March 22 - Asheville, NC - Orange Peel
March 23 - Memphis, TN - Minglewood Hall
March 25 - Houston, TX - Verizon Wireless Theater
March 26 - Austin, TX - Stubb’s Amphitheater
March 27 - Lubbock, TX - The Pavilion
March 28 - El Paso, TX - Club 101
March 30 - Tucson, AZ - Rialto Theater
March 31 - Hollywood, CA - Hollywood Palladium (TESTAMENT w/ special guests)

Paul Baloff, Rage In Peace Feb 2, 2002

9 years gone...
Just a remembrance of original Exodus vokillist Paul Baloff who passed away on this day back in 2002.

Here's an interview with Paul from 1997. This was on the Midwest Metal site for a while, so it has the 2001 notes as well.

2001 Notes: I remember setting this interview up, I'm not too sure if I was supposed to speak to Baloff originally, but when the phone rang it was Rick Hunolt. God, what a disaster dude was a total mess and the interview just sucked. So I called Marco who I believe was still doing publicity stuff, told him that Rick was a shitty interview and what else can we do.

A few minutes later the phone rang again, this time it was the man himself, Paul Baloff. This interview is short and to the point and was cool to do and an honor to have Baloff in Midwest Metal. While their reunion didn't last long at all, it was worth it to have gotten the 'Another Lesson In Violence' album.


When the original line up of Exodus split with Vocalist Paul Baloff many felt it was the end of an era, the end of a special time for Metal. Now some twelve years later he has returned with the terror twin axe team of Holt/Hunolt, Drummer Tom Hunting a new bassist and a new live album.

Midwest Metal: What have you been up to for the past few years?

Paul Baloff: Well for a few years I had my band Piranha, we had a demo tape produced by James Hetfield and I pretty much beat that dead horse into the ground. I then played in Heathen and then after that I wanted to take a break from music altogether. I went to Carmel, CA. and I turned into a surf bum, and that lasted a while, but at one point I figured I had about seven years of wildness left in me so I decided to give Gary (Holt-G) a call to see what was up.

So I called him and he said he was doing an Exodus project and that I should move up right away, so I was like "Seven more years of wildness? Might as well be with Exodus!"

So you move to the Bay Area and how was it at first?

At first it was kind of weird but now it's even more insane than it was before. These guys may be a little bit older but they're just as insane as ever. Especially when they're away from their steadies.

You had a reputation like few others, both on stage and off, what I want to know was it all true? I mean anyone who say's they want to see a dead poser, that's classic!

It all depends on how much you've heard! But I suppose a good 90% of it was true, we've played in pools of blood on stage, we've cut ourselves open during "Bonded By Blood" in clubs before. The "dead poser" stuff was true, dead people in the streets but like I said, it all depends on how much you've heard (laughs)!

What was the first tune you guys jammed on when you regrouped?

Ummm, I don't know (laughs), I guess "Exodus" or "Bonded By Blood" maybe it was "Deliver Us To Evil" something heavy like that.

Let's talk about the new live album, 'Another Lesson In Violence'. The record is so clear yet brutal, how long did you have to soundcheck?

Oh a million years or so (laughs)! There were people in vans, mobile units and everyone communicated by walkie-talkies and if there was a sound problem it was hell. But the performance part was killer we were and are so into it it's not even funny, the tour is gonna crush!

You just returned from Europe where you played the Dynamo Festival, how'd that go?

Killer. It was the most people I've ever played before in my life, I usually never look at the crowd before we go on, there I peeked out like, two minutes before we went on and I freaked. For the first time in my life I freaked before a show but it was cool.

How's Jack fitting in? Was he all nervous in Europe, this being his first tour and all?

Jack rules. He rages, he's a chick magnet and he simply rules. He's the only guy on stage that doesn't move one million miles an hour, he just sort of stomps around in his little circle, Jack rules.

I know there's been talk of a new album for Exodus, what's the new stuff sound like?

Sort of like a 1990's 'Bonded By Blood' with, what I call, "Jungle Thrash" kind of stuff. I call it that because I don't know how to describe it, we've got some killer rhythms and stuff, all I know is it's heavy.

What are you looking to accomplish on the US tour? Is it a re-introduction, of sorts?

Just playing the best we can every night. I just saw a schedule of our dates and it say's we play twenty-six shows in a row, I hope someone told my voice that! And even though that's a lot of shows in a row, we'd like to get a grip on the scene you know, be at the point where we get to call our own shots I mean I don't even know if we'll be on the same record label next year. Who knows? We just want to be the heaviest we can be.

After you left Exodus, when the band continued on with Zetro what did you think of them?

I was really busy with my Piranha thing, and one of our goals was to try and catch Exodus, at one point I even had a song called "Crush Exo-Metal" (laughs). It's all kind of silly now, but it was heavier than they were!