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EDITORIAL
Hello readers, Well, weve hit issue 40 now - who wouldve thought? So many people are ambitious enough to tackle big projects, but life can get in the way and overshadow good intentions, creating a lack in follow through for many ideas which never see the light of day as a result. But when passion is strong enough, things happen no matter what, and that is the case with Slaughterama and House Of Noizz radio. The wheels keep on turning and every time Ive thought about parking this magazine in the garage for a while, someone or something helps me to tune it up and put some more gas in the tank. The House Of Noizz TV idea ran out of fuel though. We had everything set to go, but the test footage we put together was just not up to the desired production quality level, and then That Metal Show hit the airwaves in NZ with the type of quality metal show we were hoping to make anyway. Who knows, maybe well look at TV again when we have some more disposable income; meanwhile well have to stick to the occasional appearance on youtube. This issue contains interviews with two premium NZ Metal bands - Darklight Corporation and In Dread Response. And then we have our exclusive with Devin Townsend; a great interview in which he doesnt shy away from being straight up about every question put to him. Some good reviews here too, and a piece from Ultimate Metal Dude to round the issue off. Enjoy, and Ill catch you next issue. Brendon Adam Editor

KIWI METAL DIRECTORY

Not listed? Contact slaughtermail@gmail.com

www.houseofnoizz.com Home of Slaughterama Magazine and House Of Noizz radio. Dedicated to the promotion of Heavy Metal and Hard Rock, along with all subgenres such as Traditional Heavy Metal, Speed Metal, Doom Metal, Black Metal, Death Metal, Glam Metal, Progressive Metal, Power Metal and anything else which constitutes great sounding, heavy music. www.theaxeattack.co.nz Paul Martin is one of The Rocks longest serving jocks, presenting, programming and producing his hugely successful weekly metal show The Axe Attack on the Rock since 1992. http://moltenmetalshow.blogspot.com The Molten Metal Show is a weekly metal & hard rock show broadcast Thursdays at Midnight (NZ Time) 1200 UTC, on Volcano Radio, Lyttelton, New Zealand. Listen live: www.volcanoradio.co.nz Podcast: http:// molten-metal-show.podomatic.com http://www.hardfastheavy.com Broadcasts out of Auckland, New Zealand every Monday night 11pm to 1am (NZtime) frequently with interviews, news, gig guides and the Late Night Weather Report. http://1milliontons.blogspot.com/ Hailing out of New Zealand, were gonna bring you all the heavy metal blog-worthiness that our ears firmly planted to the ground can sniff out- mixed metaphors and all.. Email: nuclear. anxiety@gmail.com http://ultimatemetaldude.com/ From a festering pile of MOLTEN STEEL comes ULTIMATE METAL DUDE. My purpose: to pass EXTREME commentary on all of the current happenings on planet Earth. To say the shit that others dont have the balls to say. To be the most infamous fictional figure in society since Jesus Christ. Just because Im wearing lipstick doesnt mean I cant kick your ass! www.chaosnz.com Promoters of Metal in NZ ISSUE 40 CREDITS Front Cover by Jenna Adam Internal Layout by Brendon Adam Interviews with Devin Townsend, Darklight Corporation and In Dread Response by Brendon Adam Glam Metal Wordfind by Brendon Adam Ultimate Metal Dude by Nivatel Uhuiam

ongratulations on the new album, Pitchblack. As with the debut, the polish in everything you have done here is evident. What parts of your sound did you attempt to build on the most when writing and recording? With the debut it was pretty much going blind and I think it was a bit more industrial sounding. With this album we wanted it to be big and fat like a rock album, not so thin and precise. We also used new mastering techniques so the sound was still loud but not so compressed and still dynamic with good transients. And in terms of the song writing and performances I think it is a natural progression from the debut; the songs are a bit stronger and a bit more complex. Fabio certainly pushed his vocals more and tried new things with a clean vocal

and really diversified. Tim [new drummer] really brought a new feel and drive to the songs too. What opinion or message raised by the band in the lyrics on the new album resonates the strongest with you? I think this album is a lot more personal than the first album, which was all about the fight. The songs on Pitchblack have more input from all of us and even though Fabio is writing the lyrics the music resonates from us all. For me a song like Down In A Hole really affects me because I really feel what it was like for Fabio growing up in Brazil and the anger and frustration of losing people close to you because of your environment. We all put ourselves on this album which makes it more edgy and real I think.

What is the most expensive exercise for the band when making an album? The biggest expense for the way we work is time really. I mean we are pretty much self sufficient when it comes to making albums. I would love to hand the responsibility over to a well known producer etc. but in this climate there is not a lot of money around so we do what we need to do to get the same result. We spend a lot of time in our studio getting things to sound as good as any other album out there and that takes time and effort. I probably wouldnt have it any other way; we dont need to go and spend forty grand and still not have full control over the end result, and really, the end listener doesnt care where it was done as long as it sounds as good as the next album they listen to. We always like

to have nice artwork but none of us are artists so we go and find something we like and contact the artist about using it. For the Pitchblack art the artist actually said we could use it for free and just credit her which was great. So really we dont spend much at all on an album. You guys are quite familiar with making music videos now. Is this something that the band really enjoys producing, or do you see it more as a tool for presenting and promoting the bands singles and image? We love making videos and are fortunate to have a friend in TV with a great camera and he directs and shoots our videos and then we edit them to how we like them. Every time we do one we learn so much

more and you can really see the growth of the band through each video. It does get frustrating putting all the effort in only to be ignored by the mainstream music shows though. Luckily shows like The Metal Bar and The Steel Mill support local bands of this genre otherwise we would be fucked hahahaha. Its definitely a great tool to promote the band and push an album or single out to a bigger audience. Bloody running out of ideas for making cheap videos though hahahaha. A couple of questions around one of the major things which totally sets this album apart from everything else out there; the format on which you released it. You are the first Metal band in NZ (that I am aware of) to release an album on Dropcard - tell us about it. I think we are probably the first band in any genre in NZ to do it. I was thinking about new formats for delivering music one day as you do hahaha and came up with the concept. Of course someone else was already doing it in another country so I contacted them and they had a great system in place to make it all work on a commercial level. Its so cost effective and an exciting and convenient product, just watch, everyone will be using them soon. What is the most popular method people are using for getting the album? Dropcard or itunes? And do you feel you have missed out on any sales by not having a CD out? As much as it is a shame, the CD is a dead format. No one is buying CD players anymore, its digital storage now and will be for a while. There will always be people who want the CD but they are the minority. But for them we also have the full resolution

CD files available to download with the download card, so they can just burn a disc. You also get the artwork and lyrics if you want them. Its all the same really its just all on a screen nowadays. For most people I think itunes etc. is the most common way but the drop card is for physical sales at shows or retail outlets so people can actually buy something tactile and convenient. As the CD eventually dies out and people embrace digital files more and more, do you think that the full length album may also suffer? There are certain musicians who believe that artists, record companies and consumers will eventually evolve to production and consumption of singles only. Buying behaviour on itunes is already starting to show that with pop music in particular, people prefer to download one or two hit songs they like versus an entire album. What are your thoughts? Well its kind of always been that way with pop music, its always been single driven. With Pitchblack it is still in an album format where each song has a specific gap between tracks and some tracks run into each other like a CD but on a media player so you dont lose the album feel. We have also priced the dropcard and the album at $5 so it makes it a no brainer to buy the whole album. On itunes etc. we have no control over their pricing so each song is sold at their price but the album is available for $5 from our website and shows and various retail outlets around the country. Really, the media industries need to catch up to the trends; they have buried their heads and ignored the trends and now they are fucked. People download music and movies for free... you cant change laws and make criminals of most of the population; you have to innovate and keep ahead of the

tide. So what are the plans for the near future? In September we are bringing over one of the top bands from Brazil [EMINENCE] and we will be touring with them on a 16 date tour through NZ and Australia, Then they will assist us in touring in South America and Europe next year. We also have a promo campaign happening in Europe right now for the release of Pitchblack with a company in The Netherlands, so she is sending out copies to all the magazines for reviews and radio stations for airplay, so we are building a foundation so we can get there and tour in the near future. And weve had representation from the Asian Music Matters conference in Singapore last month so hopefully some deals come from that. So all pretty exciting but a lot of hard work ahead of us. We all just love being in this band and really enjoy making music together which at the end of the day is what we are all about. Anything else youd like to mention? We would really like to thank the people who support this genre in NZ and who only do it because they are passionate about the music. If we didnt have the specialist radio, TV shows and magazines the scene would just not be as good as it is at the moment. There are so many great bands in NZ that deserve to be heard and these shows bring the music to the fans and keep the scene moving forward. g

...the CD is a dead format.

MOVIE REVIEW
By Brendon Adam group of students investigate a series of mysterious bear killings, but learns that there are much more dangerous things going on. They start to follow a mysterious hunter, learning that he is actually a troll hunter. Its Blair Witch Project meets Where The Wild Things Are in this atmospheric mockumentary. The fact that its made in Norway definitely helps it seem somehow more authentic. There are a few great scenes; my favorite is where the filmmakers get trapped with the hunter in a cave with a bunch of trolls. If youre a fan of either of the forementioned films, or just like trolls, then check this one out - its short run at the Incredibly Strange Film Festival is already over so watch for the DVD / Blu Ray release. dddcc

irst off, how has the response been now that fans have experienced all four of the themes you presented?

my life rolling at 70% each. Its frustrating, but there currently doesnt seem to be an option. Touring keeps the boat afloat, and the family needs an income so its a catch 22. I am enjoying the few moments I get per month though with my full heart. :) Do you ever feel that being known as a Metal artist could prevent people who are turned off by the Metal genre but would otherwise love your music from discovering your releases? Absolutely. I would like to be known as a musician, point blank. But after years of screaming my balls off and being a metal musician to the exclusion of most other things, I totally get it. However, I can only keep releasing my records in hopes that they find the right ears. I support and encourage downloading of my stuff to people who are on the fence. Ultimately though, Im working, and I am happy. If it ever gets past the stage that it is at now, Ill consider it a cool bonus. Your music doesnt seem to have any definitive borders when it comes to styles and influence which makes listening to the records particularly interesting. Some bands actually appear to thrive on restriction, whether imposed by genre, budget or style. Have you ever found limitation helpful? Only in terms of technical aspects. I do not like options while recording (tons of plug-ins, guitar selections etc) I have a very effective handful of instruments and 2 plug-in bundles in ProTools that I rely on to do certain things. My options come with how I choose to write and implement them, and not a reliance on trying to find some new, wacky delay or something. If I need, say a strange swirling delay to make my point, I use the dig stereo delay, then chain it creatively through my one reverb, then

As is usually the case, the initial reactions are basically confusion. I think I ask a lot of my audience by continually presenting music that is dissimilar to the previous records. When someone has an emotional investment in what came before, to not hear a continuation of it becomes disappointing and probably quite frustrating. However, that is becoming known as kind of my thing I suppose, and now a month later, people are beginning to appreciate these new records for what they are, vs what they arent. I believe in time, these 4 records and what they represent will be known as one of my best periods, and each record individually will stand as great thoughts. They do ask a lot of the audience though, no doubt These 2 CDs close off a 4 album series, and youre already working on your next record, so you have been extremely active in releasing quality material frequently. Seems like a lot of work - are you getting enough downtime? I dont think so. The problem that I have are too many good things that deserve my full attention. My family and home life is a full time job, touring and interviews are a full time job, Ziltoid alone could be a full time job, and that doesnt include relaxing, or creating, or troubleshooting etc. All in all, I think its a good problem to have, but I spend 150% energy to keep everything in

into my one chorus and find a solution that way. Not having to scroll through dozens of presets allows me to focus on whats in my head as opposed to poking in the dark for inspiration. My ideas come very quickly and are fully formed for the most part, and the speed of execution is more important than experimentation with media or instruments. With digital media (and the way people purchase music) evolving there has been talk from various musicians that artists may eventually opt to stop making full length albums altogether and instead simply release singles in closer succession. Whats your opinion - have you given this concept any thought? It never seems to make much sense to me to not make a full statement. Sometimes, the statement lasts 3 songs (echo) and others, 4 records (dtp) so in either event, I get my point across I think. The format limitations are rarely a consideration I guess. I became a big fan of your music when I picked up the Ziltoid album. I found the artwork/imagery/concept irresistible, and then when I heard the music I was totally blown away. You were recently quoted as saying Im very rapidly realizing that humour and metal it doesnt really work. However, I rate the Ziltoid record among my favourite all time albums, and I think that lighter subject matter has a lot to do with that. Would you care to elaborate on your thoughts behind humour and metal? Well to be clear, (thank you by the way) I personally think it works great, and I believe that humour is essential in life and love etc, however I didnt realize how uptight the metal community can be until recently. I

suppose I gave it too much credit. Going back to your previous question about metal tags being a deterrent to new listeners, perhaps the fact I continue to see things in a lighter way, even as a metaphor, will have me banished from the heavy metal glee-club, and to be honest, I have no desire to hang out with miserable people who take all this life shit too seriously, so Im fine with it. Im sure in all walks of life you find people who focus on miry, darkness and conspiracy but the further I go into my creative process, the more I find a solid percentage of the heavy metal community that find comfit in that and dont want it questioned. I get itIll just take my ball and leave. :) I look forward to seeing my experience in heavy metal being seen as a single colour in my future work. Among many other guests, Oderus Urungus (Dave Brockie) appears on

Deconstruction as a guest on the title track. Pretty full on! Made me want to eat a double cheeseburger. Did you have fun working with Dave and putting that one together? Dave Brockie is a fucking genius. That is all. It was great seeing you live here in NZ to promote the Addicted album. The obvious question is do you plan to ever return to play more shows down under? We come in

September for the Soundwave Revolution festival, I hope to hit NZ again, it was a total thrill. No word yet from the promoter and agent as to if we will able to on this run. It has MY vote though Any final messages to your New Zealand fans? Worse shit has happened to better people Lots of love folks! Keep your heads up! g

the ze how uptight ...I didnt reali until munity can be metal com recently.
Deconstruction and Ghost are both available now.

will still be singing your songs in their head long after theyve left the venue. A quality album is imperative because there is so much competition out there. You might be a bunch of really great guys and work really hard but if the production sounds like it was recorded in a garage with one mic or the songs are poorly written youre not going to get sympathy points from people who dont know you. Theyll just listen to something else that sounds better. Our reasoning for not skimping on quality is our music will out live us. Our songs will still be around when were long gone so wed like to think that it will not date too quickly and be a fair representation of everything that we were aiming for. our new album, Embers in the Spiritless Void has been out for about a month or so. What is the reaction like so far? Its been pretty positive so far. Reviews are picking up on some of the finer details of the album which we worked hard on which is good and people were singing along at the release show. The lyrics only went online the other day so it means that people actually took time out to physically read the booklet which they bought. That was all part of the master plan, growing up I couldnt wait to listen to a new CD while reading the booklet cover to cover and digesting the artwork. My Dad enjoys it so that is the most important reaction to me, everything else is a bonus. This is your second full length album. What are the most noticeable differences to the debut [From the Oceanic Graves]? The last album was guns blazing the whole time, this one has some reserved moments which make certain parts more impacting. A lot of it also came from having our new

drummer Corey. He played everything live compared to the last album where we didnt even have a drummer. Our new guitarist Ross McDougall also played a big part in the song writing, he comes fully equipped with the most solid right rhythm hand I have ever seen. The new album is a better product in all areas: musicianship, song writing, production, artwork, lyrics the works. When it comes to the lyrics, what subject matter/s get the most response and are the most interesting to put into songs? All our lyrics are handled by vocalist Sean OKane-Connolly and we never interfere with his methods! Subject wise he will always pick things of an epic nature. We avoid anti religious and political lyrics so he has to work pretty hard to craft lyrics that people can relate to without alienating people. The more twisted the better but resorting to blood, guts and gore just isnt our thing. Instead hell focus on historical events or epics which puts you right in the thick of it even if you have to look up what half of the words mean. Ive never been in

the middle of a nuclear winter but thanks to him I get to imagine I am living through one on a daily basis. A few questions about releasing music in current times - firstly, how financially worthwhile is it to make a quality album these days? You must absolutely have a quality album. You have to have the best possible product both musically and production wise. It doesnt have to be expensive either. When someone listens to your album they dont hear how much you spent, they hear the songs and the sound quality and with the internet making every band to ever have released anything freely available it needs to be on par with everything else out there. Not many people will buy CDs or download songs based solely on where they are from. All of that is secondary. Its the final product that has to do all the talking for you, not even an amazing album cover is enough to save you as most downloads are a faceless bunch of songs people take 2 minutes to judge and either keep or delete. Songs need to be memorable enough so that someone

Where do the biggest expenses lie? And where can you cut corners while still ending up with a professional product? For us the most expensive part was drums. Corey has such fantastic feel when drumming so we wanted to capture all the finer nuances of his playing. It was important we find a room to record it that could capture it. Luckily for us we found one relatively quickly at the Asylum Studios. Everything else we did fairly cheap but made sure that it still sounded good. I wont go into how much we spent but in our opinion the days of spending thousands and thousands of dollars and weeks on end in a studio are almost obsolete. If youre a young band on a limited budget home recordings with programmed drums are a good way to cut corners. You can get them sounding 100x better for free than real drums on an almost non-existent budget. The aim is to get noticed and if you have live drums but they sound terrible youve just shot yourself in the foot. Another expense that people over look is layout and artwork, luckily for us Im a designer by trade so I did everything but to get high quality artwork and a layout that is at the same level as the big international

bands that can get very expensive. Do you ever feel like the New Zealand music scene is in any way restrictive for the band? And would you relocate if offered better opportunities? Its definitely not easy here in NZ. In terms of where the NZ music industry is compared to the rest of the world were about 10 years behind everywhere else except Iraq. If we were doing this full time as our jobs then relocating would be something wed consider. As it stands were all family men are well settled in. Besides, you cant do metal full time in NZ, there are simply not enough places to play and not enough money in it to survive. Kiwi metal bands are pretty hard working though, harder than any hip hop or indie joke bands who get everything handed to them and all they had to do was don their grandpas tweed pants and play their instruments badly. If you go to any metal show in NZ youll see a bunch of hard working lads who do it all for the love. The music industry in NZ is a complete joke. So much money is piled on to the worst commercial bands that arent even around in a years time. There are a few people out there who think Dread has had a lot of financial help with our albums and videos but weve been on our own. Weve done everything ourselves, just 5 guys sitting around planning how to make the most of what little we had. Even after we won the Juice TV music award for our video Cannons at Dawn I still had to buy my own orange juice at the event and there was a massive bar tab! Dread will most likely stay here because of our jobs and families unless this place becomes a hostile place to raise children which I cant imagine it will, and well continue to do everything on our own and STILL outlive who ever is playing on C4 right now. Is the new album going to see an

international release and tour? Hopefully yes and yes. Well be heading to Australia to fly the flag for Kiwi metal in the new year and were working on a plan to head over to Europe and Japan. The US is a little harder but I still have my US working visa so well see if we can make use of it before it expires. As for an international release weve got the support of our Label Deadboy, who have been really great to us, weve approached a few international labels and are now just playing the waiting game. What are the bands ambitions? What level of achievement or recognition would you be most proud to reach?

Were simple guys and get excited when we see one or two kids in the front row singing our songs along with us. So any thing we do well be happy with. We do aim to be as professional as possible though. I would love to be as big as Slayer but those guys worked their tails off to get where they are today and had opportunities we will never have here. Times have changed, sometimes now its just about being at the right place at the right time and in NZ there is never a right time. We wont get anywhere near as known as them but I love how they operate. A lot of people over look Slayer and write them off as a satanic joke band. For anyone who has seen them live will know they are anything but a joke. Their live show is one of the most intense sonic and sensory experiences you

can have with your clothes on. So in regards to live shows our biggest ambition is to be as intense live as Slayer. Where do people go to keep up with the latest developments with the band? You can harass us any time on www. facebook.com/indreadresponse. One of us is always there updating it so youll always get an answer from one of us. Any final messages for the readers of Slaughterama? Keep up the good work and support Kiwi metal! g

Our songs will still be around when were long gone...

DARKLIGHT CORPORATION Pitchblack Twisted Hillbilly Records 2011 Like the self titled debut, this album is well polished industrial metal. Most importantly these guys value the importance of a catchy song; something which is often missing from bands when they delve too deep into complex songwriting. If you like Sepultura, Fear Factory, or industrial stuff like NIN, Marilyn Manson, Rammstein or Rob Zombie, then give this a go! ddddc Brendon Adam

THE DEVIN TOWNSEND PROJECT Deconstruction HevyDevy 2011 Ive been a fan of Devin Townsend for a few years now (since the Ziltoid album) and while Ive never been that big of a SYL fan, I have thoroughly enjoyed all of his DTP stuff. Lets forget about metal here altogether for a second; this is incredible music full-stop. I think even the most hardened critic would find it difficult to argue that this is not audio genius of the highest order. Amazing, musthave album, like all the other DTP releases. ddddd Brendon Adam THE DEVIN TOWNSEND PROJECT Ghost HevyDevy 2011 This is as per my review of Deconstruction (above), except with the note that this is not a metal album at all. It is a very mellow record expertly assembled with a broad range of soothing instruments, with that ambient / new age tranquility, but much, much better than anything released under those genres. There are still great vocals, hooks, and all up, while it may be the most weightless sounding album on your metal CD rack, itll be among the most substantial at the same time, for all the right reasons. ddddd Brendon Adam

SYMFONIA In Paradisum Avalon/Marquee 2011 Timo Tolkki, Andre Matos, Uli Kusch - do I need to go on? This could as well be a Stratovarius album recorded somewhere after Episode. Some kick ass fast tracks, sleepy ballads and (very predictible) Power Metal hooks. Very solid, very professional and very enjoyable. Highly recommended to the fans of old Strato. Although they probably already got it. ddddc Max Thrasher

QUEENSRYCHE Dedicated to Chaos Roadrunner 2011 Wow, what a strange album! Its uplifting, unconventional, full of random sounds... Id compare it to Helloweens Chameleon, not in terms of music, but rather of an originality - sort of neither here nor there, yet so listanable! For Queensryche its a mix of the classic Empire and the bizarre Hear in the Now Frontier. Progressive - YES! Challenging - YES! Catchy - YES! Metal - well... A brilliant record for openminded people. After all its called Progressive for a reason. ddddc Max Thrasher

IN DREAD RESPONSE Embers In The Spiritless Void Deadboy / Universal 2011 It doesnt get any better than this for melodic death metal, even on an international scale. The album is absolutely flawless from the CD artwork right through to the songwriting and production. The quieter sections reminded me of AFIs Sing The Sorrow album; great tension filled build-ups to full-on assaults. This band deserves international exposure and status; Ive heard nothing better in this genre. ddddd Brendon Adam

RHAPSODY OF FIRE From Chaos to Eternity Nuclear Blast 2011 Exactly what you would expect from Rhapsody (still refuse to add of fire to it). An excellently executed work, so over-thetop, its not funny! Actually, it stopped being funny about 10 years ago. A must have for the fans, and for the rest of us... Well, if you have a Rhapsody album - youve got them all. Its like keeping eating the same dish every evening - one day youll come to fucking hate it! dddcc Max Thrasher

AMORPHIS The Beginning of Times Nuclear Blast 2011 The supposed comeback-to-the-roots album, and I think its a good attempt. Melodies, folk, growl - its all there. Maybe not as memorable and original as Elegy (lets face it, that album really pushed the boundaries back then), but a solid and wellthought through record. Plus its got to be the fist Metal album ever an egg on the cover! ddddc Max Thrasher

FND TH L TL BND FND TH L TL BND

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GLAM METAL WORDFIND

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L TL RDFND L TL RDFND

WARNING: COMEDY / OPINION ARTICLE DO NOT READ!

Metal fans violent, desperate criminals with nothing to lose

metal and in the mosh pit. So Im normally pretty mellow at work I burn the weekdays away listening to metal and thinking about metal while doing these braindead tasks for the man all so I can cash my paycheck in at the end of the week and buy some more strings, picks, etc. and get a step closer to owning my dream setup so I can do what I love to do when Im not listening to metal play metal. Then I stabbed Bob in the neck artery with a bic pen, took out a .44 Magnum and shot up a bunch of process workers and supervisors. Ok, that last part may not have gone down quite like that, but it got me thinking, if we leave out variables like drugs and mental health, and think about normal humanoids without an outlet like metal; the ones who just quietly let the shit in their life build up without any kind of hobby as a pressure valve, are these some of the ones who can wind up eventually going off the rails and doing something like commiting murder? If so, then these fuckers should be listening to, and playing metal. It could save lives for fucks sake! To cover off my original statements, you may think Im against those who stereotype metal fans or consider them dangerous, evil people. Well, that couldnt be further from the truth, and it brings me to my main conclusion in this article; I love the bad reputation that the paranoid conservatives and press have helped build up for metal and its listeners over the years, and whats more, I believe metal actually needs it. Youth are naturally rebellious; rebellion is all about shocking your parents, and luckily metal is still managing to shock people. If it didnt, I think we would have a lot harder of a job getting young people to discover it. A good proportion of the shock value in metal is the extreme visual aspect to initially draw people in (or frighten the wrong people off as the case may be) I spoke of image and shock value at greater length in my last piece, but of course the music is equally important, as peoples initial exposure and hook to metal can be delivered via sight and/or sound. All up, Im so happy with how I look in public (which is the main way I promote metal). When I walk by, mothers hold their children tight, grown men cry, and hot chicks smile, blush and suck on lollipops. I mean look at the photo of me there; sure it may be retouched here and there, but all in all, even without the airbrushing thats one good looking dude! And remember, just because Im wearing lipstick doesnt mean I cant kick your ass! g

ts a fact some of the humanoids out there see metal fans as low grade beings; violent, desperate criminals with nothing to lose who should be avoided wherever possible. I dont discourage these impressions. As a matter of fact I probably inadventently contribute to them my metal t-shirts alone usually contain imagery like blood, gore, bad language, weapons and satanism. And thats just what was on them when they were initially printed, before the cigarette burns, dried ketchup and ejaculate stains. Ill always remember an old boss saying to me years ago Yknow, Ultimate Metal Dude, weve had a few guys working here at the cheese sandwich factory who like that heavier music, and you all seem to be pretty chilled out when Ive had the chance to talk to any of you one on one, which doesnt really fit with the violent, angry metal stereotype. Whats with that? Well, Bob I replied at the time, I dont know about anyone else, but I let out all my aggression on song writing, guitar work and whatevers left gets burnt up listening to