I feel like I’ve been suffering from an adverse reaction to the “music industry” – one from which I don’t believe that I’ve been able to fully recover.  I can still remember where I was and when it happened – my aversion to the industry began last summer.  I was invited to a festival and just feeling burnt out.  There I was talking to the guys in The Devil Wears Prada and As I Lay Dying and feeling like they were impostors.  This wasn’t entirely their fault.  Press tents have a way of stealing the spontaneity from a conversation.  How can it not?  Half the time the music from other bands that have already taken the stage at festivals is already pulsating from the stages and creating this white noise from hell.   It’s not a place for spontaneous conversation being in the trenches.  It’s not a place conducive to learning about what makes a band tick.  It’s like a foxhole and it’s not a safe place at all.  In the end it’s just dirty and sweaty and full of pompous assholes peddling their wares.

Of course they would get angry if they knew I knew this.  They would wonder if I understood their music.  They would wonder all kinds of things that took the spotlight off of them and placed it on me – the critic.  But that’s the thing isn’t it?  People hate critics because most critics know the truth and the truth is that sometimes music is just a clever trick and nothing more.  It the vehicle that draws us in and, best case scenario, makes us think about things like poetry, philosophy and humanity.  The worst case scenario it’s a vehicle to sell tickets, CD’s and merchandise.  It’s a line we walk pretending not to notice the merchandise while understanding that we’re not there without the sponsors.  I don’t belong here.  I want to know what makes people tick.  Even when I’m not a rock journalist, I want to know.  But what makes me tick is rock culture and history – not t-shirts.  I don’t want to believe that it’s just about the money though I understand money is what makes it all happen.

The irony is that the dreamers and the poets seldom understand the breadth and depth of their art or even how it represents them.  In the music industry it can be the opposite.  In the music industry people can forget that the music is a reflection and instead begin to reflect the music if they can’t step away from it.  But that’s the subtle moment when people stop being themselves and become what they see in the mirror instead.  They become characters and stop being representatives or ambassadors if you will.  It’s this shift that I was witnessing last year that was killing me.  It went something like this:

“What do you love about this?  What do you live for?” I asked one of the members of The Devil Wears Prada.
“I look for that guy in the audience who isn’t having a good time and I try to reach that guy.”
Really?  How Almost Famous of you. I think. I can see they’re missing my point and maybe it’s their youth and inexperience that is keeping them from seeing this the way that I do.  Maybe someone else can show me something different.  “Please don’t make me look like a dumb ass.” A member of As I Lay Dying says as we conclude our interview.

And that was it.  I was done.  I was going to walk away and never come back.  I went home.  I received a couple of emails to do a few more interviews and knew I had I had hit rock bottom when one of my emails read, “Do you want to interview a former porn star turned musician?”

No.  Not especially.  No.

It’s strange that I can be so hard on them, but that’s how I feel these days…like they (people in bands) should own and understand their art.  What I got from my experience were scared kids who didn’t want to look stupid.  So they gravitated towards safe answers and that made me, ultimately, retreat too.  I retreated to a kind of darkness that was unfamiliar to even me.  It made me question everything including what is going on in the music industry in general.  Was it nefarious or was it simply reality?  Did the handlers take over the events or did the bands really start to look too much like puppets?  Did it matter?  I was over it.  I was over energy drink sponsored festivals.  Maybe I didn’t want to know that corporations owned us all until we had outlived our usefulness.  Maybe it was, after all was said and done, just time to leave.

A year later I was on the Sunset Strip again, this time just to be a spectator, to support a friend who was playing bass in Michael Grant’s new band Michael Grant and the Assassins (Michael is formerly of Endeverafter and currently in L.A. Guns) at the Viper Room.  I pointed to a bookstore next to the Viper Room where I conducted one of my last interviews with Clown from Slipknot.  I spent an hour with him talking about art.  It was inspiring.  I tell my friend Ryan this as I laugh about how strange it is to be here again and not be a part of the scene at the same time.

“Is it weird that you used to talk to guys that were so L.A.?  I mean you are so NOT L.A. Paul.” Ryan says.

I know what he means.  I’m not a rocker.  I’m kind of a cultural historian when I’m at my most honest.  When I’m not smiling and pretending to be interested in what these kids have to say (as if its going to change the world).  As I wandered around Hollywood and part of the Sunset Strip my memories are somewhat different from most.  This is where I grew up.  But my conversation with my friend Ryan about rockstars reminded me about how I was somehow a part of the scene and not a part of it at all.  I had spent so many years going to the small clubs to see obscure bands on their way up or on their way out – for the love of music and not the love of the music idol. It was strange to see glimpses of what I loved about it at all after after all this time.  It’s strange that the prize for many of these bands is to one day find themselves in the trenches from which I walked away.  It seemed foreign and familiar all at the same time.  As I waited outside of the Viper Room for Michael Grant’s band to play, I was grateful for the opportunity to be on a guest list at all.  I’m at the bottom (again) and searching for rock and roll’s lost “soul” which has undoubtedly been sold to Satan long ago.    And yet part of me still believes I can find remnants – pieces of history – that gives us insight into the human condition.

“Where did River (Phoenix) die?” I ask my friend Randy, who is one of Michael Grant’s Assassins.  He points to the sidewalk outside the Viper Room.  “I was told he died right there.”  Randy points to the pavement.  “I also know the the guy who threw the party that River was at the night that he died.” Randy says this as a matter of fact.  It’s the way that most of the people who live in Los Angeles can be after being there a while.  Randy is also the bass player in Corey Feldman’s band.  Randy is L.A. in a way that I could never be and seems quite at home.

“Randy, get me an interview with Michael.” I say under my breath.  Randy nods that he will see what he can do.

Did I just do that?  I think.  I must still need to know.  I must still want to know what makes people tick.  What gets them off?  What makes them want to play music whether it’s front of fifty on Sunset or five thousand at a festival?  Mostly I still want to know if music still matters.

After the concert, I chat briefly with Michael Grant who is gracious and down to earth.  For some reason he seems much more real here than whatever it was that I encountered a year ago talking to kids in other bands.  We agree to set something up for later.  Frankly I was caught off guard and not expecting a face to face.  Michael wanted to jump right in and talk, but I had way too much to drink to be taken seriously.  It was then that I realized that my year away wasn’t a permanent vacation, but just a hiatus.  It was a necessary one.  It was a year that I needed to get away and wash off this corporate nonsense from my skin and get back to what makes music resonate within me after all these years.  I want to know.  I want to strip it down.  I want to see it naked and unpolished.  Maybe I want to know if others feel the same way and if they too are chasing dragons – trying to steal back the spirit of rock and roll.  I can only hope.

By

Paul Stamat

Civil Twilight @ The House of Blues

Civil Twilight is one of those bands that lives in subtlety and is best experienced with headphones on and maybe even with the lights off.  It’s interesting that they would also take their name from that condition of the same name.  Civil Twilight is defined as that time that begins in the morning and ends in the evening when the center of the sun is geometrically 6 degrees below the horizon – this is the limit at which twilight illumination is sufficient, under good weather conditions, for terrestrial objects to be clearly distinguished.  Photographers call this the magic hour.  This also best describes the sort of effect that they have on their audience both musically as well as in their imaginations.  That’s how you describe Civil Twilight the band – a band that has a very good command of that intangible thing that only happens twice a day.  As I prepared to chat with Steven McKellar of Civil Twilight, I thought about this space that we occupy – this interstitial space where our imaginations are allowed to wander between reality and fantasy and ask him about everything that makes them tick.  Check out the conversation!

C6M: Hi Steven.

Steven McKellar:  Hi, how are you doing?

C6M: Good. I just wanted to talk a little bit about your background before we start getting into the new music. I think it’s kind of a fascinating story coming from South Africa where you formed your band, and then how you made your decision to come to the United States.

Steven McKellar:  Well, it was the — I think it was a dream of ours since we started the band to come to the States. It wasn’t too — we weren’t quite sure if it was the States or anywhere else, we just wanted to get the hell out of South Africa [laughter]. And so we always planned to do it, but we just never — it just you know, nothing’s happened. So, it was kind of like eventually it just boiled down to this last minute decision we made, that we discovered — we knew a few people in L.A. and told our parents that we were going to leave. I was 21 at the time, so we just told them we were going to pack our bags and go and we’ll be back, knowing that we wouldn’t be back, you know.  And it was that simple. I mean we just booked our tickets and went and stayed with people for months and eventually got our own place, and about three years later, we were able to get visas and stuff {like that} to be able to stay there, met our manager in LA and then kind of just made a record with him on our own, and then started turning with that on our own and then we got signed with Wind-up to do that. So, we were kind of taking a long time, but it’s all just like strange, spontaneous decisions that you make, you know, that lead you to the next stage.

C6M: So, now you’re in Nashville, so you’ve been to sort of the big cities. How did you sort of end up in Nashville? I mean it sort of makes sense on the level that it’s music city, but it’s very different, like when we talk about cultures in general, especially when you talk about the United States between going from a place like Los Angeles or New York City in fact, and then ending up in Nashville. That’s very, very different.

Steven McKellar:  Yeah, I know. I mean it was one culture shock going from Cape Town to L.A., but I think it was even more of a culture shock going from L.A. to the South. And really, our eyes opened up to what most of America is like, you know, and it was eye opening, it was quite scary, but I think the reason why we made that decision, we wanted to make a record and it was too expensive to record in LA. And so, our manager knew a friend of his who lived in Greenville, North Carolina, and so we found this tiny little studio that was really cheap, and we recorded our album there.  We just drove across the country in our little van. And we’d never been to the South before, so we didn’t know what to expect in that. So, we stayed in Greenville, which is a tiny little place. We stayed there for about a year actually, and so we just felt we needed to get the hell out of there, so we made another spontaneous decision like what’s the nearest big city, let’s go try that out. So, we knew like three people in Nashville. And now we’ve been there for a few years and it’s been great. It’s a nice place to come back to, you know, after touring and it’s a lot of good music and good musicians.

C6M: The one thing that I know about Nashville, I’ve been there myself, is that it does give you that big city feel, but with like the very southern hometown people in it. It’s kind of an interesting dichotomy, because when you get to the city, is it’s very much the opposite. People want you to leave them alone basically.

Steven McKellar:  Yeah, yeah, it’s true. That’s great as well, being a music town, everyone knows — everyone is either in the industry themselves or dating someone in the industry or married to someone or was in the industry. So, everyone kind of knows where you’ve been and what you’ve been up to, and there’s no giant disconnect when you come off the road. People just want to make you feel relaxed, and I really appreciate that, I do.

 C6M: So, you guys have been around a little while now. You’ve actually received significant exposure on television and films. I’d wager to say that while you’ve had that exposure, you’re probably also one of those bands that’s sort of gone under the radar, sort of one of the best kept secrets in music in a way. But let’s talk about where you guys were a couple of years ago as opposed to where you are now. I mean you’ve played on some fairly large name tickets and a few festivals and toured with some high profile bands.  I got to see you guys open for Anberlin a few years back on their Dark Is The Way, Light is a Place tour. What was it like to sort of tour with those bands and then what’s the biggest thing you took away from doing a tour with them sort of and how that would shape who you guys are as you moved forward and where you wanted to go?

Steven McKellar of Civil Twilight

Steven McKellar: Yeah, gosh, that’s a big question, I think. Yeah, I would say there’s a lot of different styles of bands. I think what we’ve learned as musicians and as band members, I think, is no matter what the audience is and who they are and what age demographic they may be, and what they’re expecting from you, if you keep pandering to what you think they want to hear, you’ll always just shoot yourself in the foot, you know. I think we’ve learned that the hard way, like our music is what it is, and it’s best displayed when we just play it with integrity and passion. If people don’t get that, that’s fine. I think we’ve learned to accept the fact that not everyone is going to get it. And that takes many years of experience, and I think I’m really grateful for those gigs, you know. I don’t think we’re there yet, but we’re — it’s like a — it’s a journey you know.

C6M: So, are you feeling like you’re sort of coming into your own, at least awareness more now than you were, say, when you first started out, maybe in that sense?

Steven McKellar: Yeah, yeah, definitely.

C6M: Well, let’s talk about where you are now musically. I just listened to the new music, and it’s Holy Weather, right?

Steven McKellar: Yeah.

C6M: And it’s an interesting title. I’ve been through Tennessee through Tornado season and that’s one of the thoughts that kind of made me laugh, is that you know you think wow, whoa, you know. But I want to know where you came up with a title like that?

Steven McKellar:  Well, it was [laughter] — it was kind of a mistake. I mean we were demoing — we were on the road at the time and we were demoing for the new record, and I had demoed a few songs on my computer. And that was like — one of the working titles for this weird, weird track that I’d made, that I didn’t think would even get on the record, was — the working title was — I think it was Dirty Weather was originally the title. And then I just flipped it and thought let’s flip it. Flip dirty and make it holy and see how that looks. I just liked the way it looks, and then I kind of wrote the lyrics of the song around this idea that — well, it doesn’t really have any meaning I guess.  It’s just this — in some weird strange way it matches with the message of the song or the story of the song, which is one person bound by sort of a destiny of nature around him, and it’s happening. And then sort of being tortured by the fact that this person they left can’t be within, you know — live within the same capacity he can amongst this like treacherous sort of landscape. It’s kind of like that, yeah.

C6M:  You mentioned on your website about coming from a place of nostalgia when you’re sitting down and you’re writing your music. And I found that imagery really interesting, because I felt like when I put my headphones on, and I was listening to this particular album, it gave me this sense of urgency, if that makes sense. Listening to something when you’re feeling your most vulnerable and thinking I feel like, “I got to do something with my life.”  And I thought it was fascinating, because you know, you listen to your lyrics and then one of them in particular that says, “you got to know what it’s like to be on the edge of something.” And as far as lyrics go, that really sort of resonated, and I know you guys, like I said, mentioned nostalgia as something that you drew from. But is the creation of music something that you want to resonate on that same private level? And then I don’t know, sort of explode out of performances, so that people get that?

Steven McKellar:  Yeah. Gosh, I’ve tried to write more objectively, you know, but I love what I do and it’s hard to sort of keep your heart from creeping into even the most strange idea [laughter]. Something that’s like — even something that’s completely unrelated to you, you know, like circumstantially maybe within the story that you’re writing about. You’re always going to find that your heart creeps in some way there and you attach yourself to something. So, you just have to sort of as an artist I think, you have to just learn to just be okay with that you know.  Fortunately for us, we’ve been around for a long time, so it’s not a very scary idea for people to — for me to know that people are diving to these ideas, that they might not like or they might like way too much or — and they might tattoo on their bodies and you know. I haven’t really thought about that like I just — all I hope is that they feel the same way I do when they’re listening to the music you know.

C6M: Is that scary? Is that scary to have fans that are almost like disciples in that sense? I mean I do wonder sometimes, you know, if someone like yourself writes something, and then someone else sort of dives in like, you know, someone like myself who says “Oh, here’s a thing that resonated with me.” Does it strike you though as a person who goes wow, you know — I’m not saying that this is what it was about, but you know, you’re like “I was writing about monkeys and you got aliens out of this,” you know.

Steven McKellar:  [Laughter] Well, I mean that’s an interesting comment too, because I actually love that aspect of songwriting. Even if you write a song that you think is more specific and the other sort of vague song in record and sort of more storytelling. People always just — they’ll take what they feel or might interpret the song their own way. And I’m always excited to see and to hear what people — how people interpret the songs. I don’t really necessarily want to correct them and say, “Actually, that song is about monkeys.” But to me, I’d rather just keep it a mystery, but it’s always interesting to hear how people interpret it. It’s like fascinating, and yet they still — they might be completely off, but yet they still feel something that I felt.

C6M:  Right, right, it’s interesting, because as you as an artist I’m sure create something that it’s a little weird when it sort of no longer is yours, because fans very much embrace music as a possession, so I do find that interesting.

Steven McKellar: Yeah, I think this — there is a Wilco album Sky Blue Sky and I think the first track on that record, just the way he talks about — one of the lyrics is something like you have to realize that when you create something, it no longer becomes yours, it’s now everyone’s. And that’s something — it sounds like he’s taken a long time to learn himself, but yeah, I’ll get there eventually.

C6M:  Right, so let’s talk about the music on this album, because the other thing that struck me was that you guys do have a sound that is very much like something that when I hear it, I go, “That sounds like a Civil Twilight,” but this album seems like you experimented a little bit on just different rhythms and different vocal sounds. Talk a little bit about the process of going through and sort of pushing yourself in a direction that stretches yourself, so that you’re not I guess making the same album twice.

Steven McKellar: Yeah, yeah. Well, I mean I think what always helps, and I would always encourage a new artist to do this. If you want to push yourself and then you create a direction and you’re a songwriter, it always helps to just put yourself in an uncomfortable position where you have to sort of learn to start from scratch again, you know, like for instance picking up a new instrument and learning to write on new instruments or in our case it was like — for me it was getting a computer which I never had before, and on the computer it had GarageBand. And so, I would just like — basically I would spend a week or two just experimenting on GarageBand and not even thinking that I was writing, just kind of learning how it works…and I wanted to do something that people, our fans, would have to experience…and we were surprised at how our fans responded.  I thought it would be a little more hostile.  I thought they would be a little more offended at our changes.

C6M:  Let’s speculate a little then in terms of the future of Civil Twilight. Where do you think you guys are going to go from here and how do you think — you were talking about experimentation, what is the ultimate I guess goal for you guys?

Steven McKellar:  I think the ultimate goal — I mean that is a big, big question, but I think for us if we can maintain, like I was talking about earlier, sure you can take you know, I don’t think we’re there yet, but I think if we can keep discovering — I don’t know — I mean just discovering who you are, I mean it’s discovering about who you’re not or something. I’m not really sure. But it’s more like just keep pushing ourselves into new areas and grow our fan base that’s sort of willing to dive into the murky with us, you know. We don’t want to create a brand necessarily that associates to one style and one image and one focus necessarily. I think that’s maybe at our beginning stages, at our sort of naïve, adolescent stages where that was sort of the idea of it. Now we’re a little older and we’re kind of like we want to keep messing things up. And you know, something like creative, we just keep pushing ourselves and I think it comes from a place now where we don’t — we’re not really as scared as we used to be, to fail, you know.

C6M: Sure. It’s really interesting that you said that something like sort of figuring out who you’re not, because you know I think sometimes people make comparisons you know with artists. They say your band sounds a little bit like this band or this other band, and it’s interesting that you would point out that that may not be you, you know, and not being afraid to push some other boundary. I find that very interesting, because some bands you know may not take that attitude, and then in doing so, they sort of put themselves in a corner to create the same album over and over again, you know. So, it becomes a dangerous place to be I think as an artist in general.

Steven McKellar: Yeah, well I tell you it’s suffocating, you know. I’ve seen it happen first hand with bands you know, and it’s like we’re not in the ketchup making business. We’re not here to produce a product for you. We’re artists, you know, that’s the whole point.

C6M: You guys have come a long way from South Africa to the United States. I was thinking about this fact, that like I said, that you’re sort of under the radar, but not at the same time, because you’ve gotten your exposure. But I was just thinking about the idea that you guys seem to be very in touch with I guess the way that things work now. And by that, I mean you know, that everyone is sort of like into the new social media, you know, they’re into the Facebooks, the Twitters, and you guys seem to be very connected with that. Do you feel like today’s bands have to be sort of web savvy or is it just something that is a part of who you guys are now. It’s not so much that you’re web savvy, it’s just that you’re in touch.

Steven McKellar: Yeah, gosh, it’s interesting that you say that, because I don’t feel in touch at all. But yeah, it’s interesting what you said, because I was thinking about this today and nowadays with all these avenues for bands to explore and for fans to explore and to discover more about their bands, it’s become less like — the bands are less like leaders and more like you get into a relationship with the band. It’s almost like you know you don’t follow a band, you to develop a relationship with them.  And they have opinions.  Bands have opinions and their fans have opinions and you work out an existence that is sort of mutual.  And they work it out together over many many different avenues.  I think that’s an interesting shift now a days.  I remember when we were designing the cover for this album, Holy Weather.  Andrew had designed it already and he’s a great designer.  And he was like this it, kind of thing.  And he put it out there on Facebook.  And what he said was said was like, “Hey guys this is going to be our new album cover, what do you guys think?”  And I would say like ten years ago, “What do you guys think?” would come across as like, “Hey this is it! Take it or leave it.  What do you think?”  But the way it’s perceived now is  like a relationship status that way it works now.  Most of the people had opinions of what they thought should change about our cover.  So what do you think became, “Hey you’re a part of this thing.  You’re just as much a part of this as I am.  What do you think?  What do you want changed?”  And I thought, wow that’s fascinating because that resonates every other area.  Musical.  Image.  I don’t know.  You can narrow it down to everything.  It changed the way you deal with fans and the way that fans deal with us.  I don’t know.  I’m just geting my head around it.  I’m not tech savvy at all.  I don’t own an iphone or anything.  I think I should, maybe someday.  I think it’s all fascinating.

C6M: I would say, don’t buy those gadgets until you absolutely have to…but then again, don’t listen to me. I probably own all of them.  So what’ do I know?  Well thank you so much for taking the time to talk to us.  We wish you lots of luck.  It was a real pleasure.  And we’ll do what we can to let people know what’s up with Civil Twilight and thank you for a great conversation.

Steven McKellar:  Yeah, yeah.  Cheers.

Special thanks to Steven for taking the time out of his day to speak to us.  Civil Twilight will be touring throughout the states and also traveling back to their home in Africa in the late fall.  If you have a chance please check out the Album Holy Weather and see them on tour – it promises to be full of surprises.  And as always, if you get a chance to chat with them, be sure to let them know that Paul sent ya.

By Paul Stamat

Clown (M. Shawn Crahan) – Slipknot

It’s kind of this upside down feeling being lost in the mayhem. Trying to understand the world, our place in it, and wondering if music still has the power to change the world – the way that I once believed it could. Sitting down with artists this year feels a little superficial. Not that they are superficial, but this business of music feels like something is amiss. Is it missing that personal touch or its usual personality? Or is it that, today, there are nothing but personalities and not a lot of substance? I cannot say. I can say that as I am sitting across from Clown from Slipknot our conversation helped me to clarify this feeling of needing to break it all down. Maybe we need to tear life down to its foundations in order to figure it all out again. I know that I need to make sense of the mayhem that goes beyond the Mayhem Fest. Clown just released a new book, Apocalyptic Nightmare Journey, that attempts to make sense of his world through photography. This idea, after speaking to him at Book Soup continues to haunt me and invade my world even as my mind needs to be on the task at hand. Mayhem. Chaos. This yearly festival sponsored by Rockstar is why I’m here to do it all over again. It’s my cycle. Perhaps its my penance to cover some of the biggest names in metal with bands like As I Lay Dying, Anthrax, The Devil Wears Prada, Slayer and Slipknot.  It’s a who’s who list of metal past and present and on the surface a good mix of music, substance and…for lack of a better term, mayhem.

Anthrax’s Scott Ian tears up the stage.

Anthrax is classic Anthrax, even as they mock the crowd.  Joey Belladonna screams that they’ve seen better mosh pits at a Maroon 5 concert.  This works the crowd into a frenzy.  It’s a tried and true trick and it brings the noise and fury that the East Coast band is known for.  But my thoughts continue to be with my conversation with Clown.  Clown is an interesting character, but his alter ego, M.Shawn Crahan is equally as interesting. You could pass him on the streets and never recognize him. With the mask Clown is an enigma. Without the mask he looks more like a dad than someone that might be hiding behind a rock star persona. One would assume to find M. Shawn at the brickyard before you would a stage and yet he helped found the mega sensation that is Slipknot. Not just founded, the masks were Clown’s idea along with Paul Gray who passed away recently, a victim of rock and roll in some ways. But another way to say it is that Paul was a victim of his own circumstance and that leaves him as nothing more than a memory for the rest of us. His spirit though is very much a part of this deconstruction, I discover, as I continue to talk to Clown about his art…but more on this later. At the moment, I am finding it difficult to wrap my mind around this idea that M. Shawn Crahan created this thing: this band that personifies this very idea that the fate of the world can only be reassessed after it is torn down to its foundations and only then can what’s real be born from its ashes. This view, or Clown’s view, is cyclical and at the same time completely without symmetry. This is what makes Clown’s art perfect. It’s the lack of certainty. If there are patterns, they must be destroyed in order to find new meaning. That is something that he shares openly as he sits across from me – exposing me to the inner workings of his mind and maybe exposing me to his inner creativity the only way he knows how. Through his art. Not his music. Not this time. This time it is his photography that begs to be mused upon and have meaning possibly be extrapolated from it. Or not. I doubt Clown cares. Not that he doesn’t care about his art. He cares deeply about it. But he doesn’t care about your interpretation of this reality he’s created. And it’s not that he doesn’t appreciate your point of view or your reality – he does. But he’s already busy constructing and deconstructing his own fantasies almost without ceasing. This Apocalyptic interpretation of reality as seen through his eyes takes is form from loneliness.

 Clown is an only child. His life has been this crazy cycle of touring (which saps him of everything that is normal), recovery (rediscovering normalcy in daily life), and a kind of reconstruction of new realities and ways of interpreting things that make it all come together in a new way. It’s his attempt at finding salvation. Finding solace in the fact that death is inevitable and present and past relationships, no matter how long lasting they seem from the outside,  hold the exact same meaning. His art and his life are a kind of “scratch.” This idea of blurred lines and impressions of images that are supposed to be messed up or broken. His perception is based upon the real idea that everything is and should be unique and imperfect in order to see how it’s our imperfection or our inability to replicate the perception of reality is beyond absurd – it’s impossible. Clowns stares at me very intensely and tells me that we can’t possibly be similar and that all we have to do is look in the mirror and realize how very different we all are from one another. We are as different as our reflections. That difference is neither good nor bad – it’s just reality. Reality gets Clown into trouble though.

 Reality as a construct is a theme that I want to pursue…the kind of reality that Clown encouraged through his explanation that there is beauty in the ugliness of life or death that needs to be examined. Not necessarily for what we see in front of us, but because what we see needs to be embraced for all of its meaning. People vomit. People defecate. People die. And we can only look at these things as unique periods in time in our existence that might have something else to tell us. Our bodies secrete endorphins when we vomit, he tells me as he retells a story about his son’s friend who he is currently mentoring. They create a feeling of being “high” however so brief to help us get through the shock. That picture he took encapsulates all of that and none of that for those that want to embrace it. Though on Facebook this photo Clown posted got him banned until he promised not to repost what some might consider objectionable. If it’s objectionable, Clown is open to the dialogue. He thinks that is why art is created. Clown is about critique, but not about judgment. Though he’s aware he will be judged almost the same way that Slipknot will be judged. It is here, in this reality, that I really begin to see the world become stripped down around me. Can we be saved from ourselves once the deconstruction has begun?

Mike Hranica of The Devil Wears Prada

I want to ask bands like As I Lay Dying and The Devil Wears Prada these same questions about the deconstruction of reality.  Both bands have strange names and pledge allegiance to alternative paths in regards to faith.  They are the rising stars of metal hell bent on presenting a deep wellspring of ideas in a heavy and brutal way and it’s why I got into metal core in the first place.  I wanted to ask these bands what sets them apart.  On stage they’re as aggressive and melodic as metal core can get..though here at Mayhem The Devil Wears Prada seems less at home on the main stage.

When I finally get to chat with members of both bands and as I try to convey these complex ideas to them I initially get these petrified looks that suggested that they hoped I was going to be the guy that asked about their musical influences or how excited they were to be here. Instead they got the guy who wanted to know what made them tick. They weren’t ready for this barrage of open ended and esoteric questions. But for me, rock and roll is like that movie “Almost Famous” where you have to ask serious questions. Unfortunately you can’t ask serious questions at a party because the serious moments of deconstruction are about solitude. It’s hard to be alone at the Mayhem Festival. My deep questions sort of fall on deaf ears when I ask some of these guys what makes them what makes them different from the other bands at the festival.  They are hours from taking various stages before the show stoppers that are Slipknot and both groups are a little hesitant to tackle their true place in this mix. I try to point out how different they are from bands like Slayer and Anthrax. I believe their place is deserving and continues to be groundbreaking…but they are content to blend into their surroundings. I want to point out what a big deal they really are just being here. But their current party line is that they are content to call themselves “members of a band that happen to be Christians.” Maybe they really are just happy to be playing music for a living. They certainly are happy to engage their fans at a very basic and fun level. But I can’t help but see the irony in this that they just want to have fun as Clown wrestles for redemption and salvation.

Kerry King – Slayer

Which brings me back to my thoughts on Mayhem Festival 2012 in general.  Slayer still packs a punch, as does Slipknot, but for different reasons and maybe even attracting an interesting mix of how metal is even played anymore.  Slayer is old school.  The elder statesmen of metal can still crunch with the best of them.  But Slipknot is the show.  I still maintain this from the very first time I saw this crazy festival of Clowns bringing their antics and fire complete with marching drums and insanity.  It’s a show and it can teach us all that the reason we get into this is for the music, but the reason we stay is because we need to stay interested.  Even as I tear it all down and rebuild it in order to find my own meaning in the Mayhem. These are the reasons I stay interested.  Maybe it’s the only way that I can work out my own salvation – when my life is in mayhem.  If this is life, I must leave you with this thought – Can beauty rise from its ashes?

By Paul Stamat

Steven Machat has lived the life of a rock star and the odds are that you’ve probably never heard of him. In his tell all book, “Gods, Gangsters and Honour,” Steven dishes all the dirt you could ever want to know about the music industry and while he’s at it he also names every name and every crime too. In the end it leaves almost nothing to the imagination and states it so blatantly that you can’t help but see the industry being run by people that exhibit a kind of ruthless gangster like behavior. It’s for this reason that it left me wondering why on earth Steven Machat would write such a book? Why “out” everyone? People die for less. Why write about how awful Sharon Osbourne was and (possibly) is? Why tell us about us how David Geffen wanted to have his way with him? Why? In his book Steven was privy to the deepest and darkest secrets of the music industry in almost the same way that Robert DeNiro was privy to the inner secrets of the Mob in Casino. In a way there’s a direct relation to the imagery in both stories all the way down to the statement, “If you want to solve a crime, follow the money.” If you want to know why people do all kinds of evil, follow the money. This is the central theme to what Steven, a former big music entertainment lawyer and band manager, is trying to tell us. It’s a compelling book. I read it in a day and was anxious to talk more about it with the author.

 Over the phone Steven wasn’t exactly the person I expected to speak with after reading, “Gods, Gangsters and Honour.” He spoke and ran on tangents not able to stay on any topic that I tried to present. I wasn’t attacking, but he was bobbing and weaving from topic to topic like a boxer. Instead of addressing Sharon Osbourne directly he mentions that he’s already moved on to his third book. His third book? I am confused and it’s quickly apparent that I can’t keep up with his mind so I go where he leads me. It’s a rabbit hole as well as a musical journey where he talks more about things like his photograph with politicians such as George W. Bush. Incidentally this is a photograph that he has been clipped out of now that he is no longer married to the woman also posed in the photo with the former governor turned president. I think it’s interesting that Steven wants to talk more about politics that he does music given the symbolic nature of being clipped out of that photograph. Steven wants to start a legitimate third political party in America too. It’s a crazy idea. Or is it? His energy is intoxicating and makes me think about the entire idea that the world is not as it seems when you get to see how it runs behind the scenes you realize how dark it is in the rabbit hole.

 Steven Machat’s book is, not surprisingly also full of stories about his other encounters with politicians such as Henry Kissinger, which makes me begin to see the world entirely in a different light. Not just about the movers and shakers of the music industry and some of the despicable behavior they exhibit, but the fact that it might also be true that different arenas are not so far removed from one another when you want to get to the bottom of things. After all, if you want to speculate about conspiracy theories the way that Steven does about Kissinger and his appearance in a private office of a known drug dealer, it is to naturally wonder if Henry Kissinger did try “blow” in the office or not. Are you shocked? Henry Kissinger, during the 70′s would prove to be nearly as important of a political figure as all of the U.S. Presidents in that decade put together. And now we know that it’s quite possible that he might have experimented with drugs and who knows what else, right?

 The problem is that even if Steven is telling the truth about what he knows, we can only know that he’s going to be a DeNiro to a bunch of Al Capones. A crazy accountant that is no longer keeping the secrets of the moguls. In the end it’s one man’s attempt to reveal decadence in a corrupt industry that is no longer about music, but is and has been for a long time about building itself towards monster personalities that are definitely god-like and now bigger than music. This might be why Sharon Osbourne attempted to block the book from being published in the UK. According to Steven she orchestrated a coup on her father’s company designed to destroy the label and eventually led to the brand that is now Ozzy Osbourne. Yes, not really a secret, Ozzy is Sharon’s creation after all. If we examine it for what it is, Steven is right. It is despicable behavior of a people that are in search of absolute power over giving us beauty. History reveals (even without this revelation) that he’s probably right. Sharon Osbourne is probably never going to show the world who she really is. After covering Ozzfest, I can only say that I too have experienced glimpses of being treated horribly by Sharon Osbourne, but only by proxy. It’s nothing that is provable anyway. Just rumors or rumors of rumors. At least Steven gives us a clearer picture.

 After hanging up with Steven and having thrown away my entire script of questions in favor of talking strictly about the tangents that Steven wanted to talk about, I have to admit that he led me down a rabbit hole that I have learned is much deeper than music. It’s much deeper than politics. And it all makes me believe that Steven, as crazy as he came across over the phone, was on to something when we talked about the world in general. Whatever it is that we’re seeing isn’t the truth. Our perception is wrong. History will reveal that Steven is nothing but a crazy guy who was a bit of an alarmist trying to, perhaps, pay for his past sins of his decadent rock star life. But I also wager that that’s exactly how it’s supposed to read because history is controlled by the likes of Henry Kissinger or even the Sharon Osbournes of the world. They will never fear the Robert DeNiros or Steven Machats. They are, after all, our gods and gangsters respectively.

By Paul Stamat

It’s hard to think back on certain eras of music without thinking about how those eras were branded. The sixties brought us free love, the seventies groovy acid rock and progressive rock, and the 80’s sort of combined the sixties and seventies and took its love affair with sex, drugs and rock and roll to new heights and gave it all to us in excess. In some ways the 80’s were so self indulgent that the negative stigmas and calamity born out of that time, especially when we remember bands that made headlines, were worn proudly like badges. The music you identified with most was your symbol. If you were a metal head, the Devil, wasn’t just a major character in the scene, but was a unifying symbol for rebellion and your disdain for the mainstream. For metal fans the devil was their a badge of courage and their unifying force. So while darkness proved to be a dominant theme in that genre – Stryper proved to be the one band that survived the calamity of that era by continuing to embrace something that they always believed was just a little bit stronger than the evil that some groups claimed to embrace: God.

I recently got an opportunity to chat with Michael Sweet of Stryper and find out how he felt about some of the negativity the band faced for not embracing the darkness as well as what they are doing now. So sit back and check out the conversation. It just might surprise you how normal some Christians can be.

C6M: I wanted to talk a little bit about the history of the band. I mean it’s a pretty long and extensive history, and a couple of my questions revolve around kind of what it was like during the early days of doing the little clubs on the Sunset Strip, but also I wanted to combine that with the fact that you guys were also kind of doing churches as well. So, talk a little bit about that and sort of the differences between the two, I guess, realms of playing.

Michael Sweet: Well, I mean we kind of — because we were an LA street scene band, you know, we grew up on Sunset and Santa Monica playing all the clubs, Troubadour, Gazzari’s, Whiskey, and that’s — those were our roots, and then we decided to take a different path and commit our music and our band to God and — but yet at the same time, in doing so, we didn’t want to be classified or labeled a Christian band, although we consisted of Christians and we’re made up of Christian guys, we didn’t want that tag. We always — our vision was to always reach out to the people that didn’t go to church, you know, that weren’t interested in going to church. So, that was our whole thing, and it still is really, but because we were made up of Christians and we got a lot of press because of that and a lot of controversy and buzz-worthy notes, you know, we kind of got — that label got pinned upon us, and therefore we were contacted by a lot of churches to perform. And we performed at a select few, but we always try to make it our goal to not do that. It was never really our thing as a band, as Stryper to go and play churches. It was more our thing to go play festivals and clubs and whatnot and reach out to those people that don’t go to church. So, you know, it’s kind of — it’s a double-edged sword, I guess, so to speak. We get offers and requests from people of all walks of life, churches, mainstream. I mean it’s kind of interesting sometimes, but we do have to kind of keep a limit on how many churches we’ll do, we try to.

C6M: Sure. Obviously you alluded to some of the misconceptions about who you guys were. I mean did that sort of — like you were saying, a double-edged sword thing. Did that sort of play into how like some people would want to play with you or not play with you just based upon the idea that you guys were four Christian guys in a band playing music? I mean did they have this idea that like possibly if they played with you, you guys might like turn water into wine on stage and float and do all kinds of weird stuff?

Michael Sweet: Yeah, I think so. I think unfortunately people’s perceptions of us, not all the time, but a good portion of the time, are just so ridiculous. And that’s from all sides. You know, from the Christian side, the church side, they think that we’re radicals and we may not really truly be Christians, and we’ve heard the term wolves in sheep’s clothing and all this kind of stuff. And then from the mainstream side, we get the fear of “Oh, my god, yeah, they’re Christians. No, we can’t play with them. We can’t tour with them,” and it really limits us a lot of times when we’re trying to get on a package tour or whatnot. And we’ve heard those comments from management and from labels of “Oh, no, no, no, it’s the Christian guys. No, we can’t do that,” and it’s like, “Well, why not?”

C6M: Right.

Michael Sweet: “Have you seen us? Have you gone to a Stryper’s show and seen that we’re just a rock band, you know, that goes up and delivers and puts on a show and entertains people and rocks it?” And I think it’s a huge misconception, because we just played Monsters of Rock Cruise, Cinderella, Tesla, a number of other bands, Night Ranger, and just all these bands. And because we were stuck on a ship, it was kind of cool, because all the bands had the opportunity to see the other bands for the first time in their lives. And we had a lot of people coming out to see us, and that was the talk. The people came up to us, the guys in Tesla, the guys in Cinderella, they’d come up to us and say, “Man, we had no idea. You guys really killed it. It was amazing.” You know, and it’s like I wanted to say, “Well, what did you think it was going to be? Did you think we were going to be like preaching and having church?” And I think that’s what people think a lot of times.

C6M: Yeah, yeah, definitely. I mean I remember back in I guess the late 80s, yeah, it did seem like the funny part would be that you couldn’t win for losing sometimes. You know that you had this perception of being sort of the clean pretty boys of rock and then you’d have Jimmy Swaggart attacking you for being completely of the devil.

Michael Sweet: Yeah.

C6M: And yeah, it just seemed like wow, you know, how do you break out of that mold? I guess getting into that, I mean, one of the things that I thought was really fascinating, just speaking about that whole, I guess, dichotomy of who you guys were, was the fact that you guys sold better in the secular market than you actually did in the Christian market. I don’t know if you knew that but…

Michael Sweet: No, no. Yeah, we’ve done all the stats and it’s true, we’ve sold — most of our sales were mainstream, two-thirds roughly give or take were mainstream, the rest were Christian market based. And nowadays most of the sales, although they’ve depleted all around the board for all bands, but ours have as well obviously, and we’re mostly mainstream as far as our sales go. And it is really weird. It’s very strange to be getting it from both sides, but we try not to cry about that or moan and complain. I mean that’s just the way it works, that’s the way it is, that’s the way this world is. I think they fear anything that’s Christian based, a lot of times you’re going to be a target board for the darts. I mean people are going to throw the darts, man, and it’s just the way it is, regardless if it’s music or cinema or — it doesn’t matter what it is. You make a stand for God, man, look out. You better put on the armor, because people are going to attack you man, and that’s just the way it is.

C6M: That’s interesting though. I mean because like you were saying, you get it from both sides, but then there are people that kind of come out and they’re not afraid to say that they’re fans of the music, that they’re fans of what you guys were doing. And an example of that, I mean there’s a couple that I wanted to throw out there. I mean one of them is — Eddie Trunk is a big advocate of you guys. He definitely goes to bat for you guys all the time.

Michael Sweet: Eddie Trunk — and he is. He really is, and then even more so Jim Florentine is a huge fan. You know, he actually came to see us play back in the day and he’s told his story. And not to interrupt you, but yeah, there’s guys like you know, Dan, Larry the Cable Guy, and not that he’s the most controversial character out there, but certainly wouldn’t expect him to be a Stryper fan. And there’s guys like Chris Jericho and there’s guys like on the other side of the map musically speaking. Twiggy, I found out that in the past few years that Twiggy was a big fan. He came to see us play in LA and he got a picture of himself dressed up as a Stryper member in high school. John 5, guitar player for Zombie, he still has a Stryper bible he got at a Stryper show. The drummer for Disturbed, he came to our Chicago show and was singing the words to every Stryper song, grew up on Stryper. So, there’s a lot of bands and “dark bands,” a lot of band members and these bands that are supposed to be evil and as hardcore as it gets, blah, blah, blah, and then you find out they’re Stryper fans. And it’s kind of cool. I mean it’s humbling. It’s really great to hear that and see that, but I don’t know what the fear is to admit. I think sometimes there’s a fear in admitting that you’re a Stryper fan.

C6M: Well, again it’s funny. I noticed that Rob Halford even had some very nice things to say, and you guys did a cover album and you cover a Judas Priest song Breaking the Law. I had a chance to talk to Rob myself and he is a very genuine, very nice guy and very — I guess that’s what I’m coming down to in the statement here is that a lot of the guys can appreciate good music when it’s good music, because he had nothing but nice things to say when he was just referring to your cover. So, has anyone else mentioned how they were honored by you guys doing an album of cover tunes?

Michael Sweet: Well, yeah. I mean we’ve got a ton of positive comments from everybody, and that’s not why we did it, but we did it just because we wanted to have fun and do something different and show people that, you know, it’s not about putting rules and regulations on Christianity. It’s not about saying you can do this and you can’t do that. I get really sick and tired of that stuff, and I just think it’s baloney and we wanted to kind of show people that and break down some barriers and some walls by making that record. But you know, people like Rob Halford, who I’ve heard that he has a deep faith in God, and there are so many people out there in this business that do. They have a deep faith in God and they believe in God and they pray to God, and you know, in their private lives they go to church, but yet they’re in these dark bands and it’s interesting. It is really interesting, and it’s almost like they have one side of themselves they want to show or people to see, and then they have another side. And I’m not saying that’s a bad thing. I’m just saying we’ve chosen to not let there be boundaries in who we are or lines or separation. We’ve chosen to, from since 1983, to make a bold stand and say, “This is who we are. You either accept it or reject it, but it’s who we are and we’ll go to our graves being remembered for taking a stand, a bold stand for who we are.”

C6M: And that is an interesting statement that you make, because I’ve had a chance to talk to so many people in the industry, and I’ll bring up the issue. For instance I got to talk to Zakk Wylde — and Rob Halford’s another one, and a few others, where you know, I talk about like the themes of their music. I got to talk to Dave Lombardo of Slayer, and you know, they sort of like chuckle a little bit and say, “Well, you know, it’s more like we’re creating a horror novel or something like that and trying to recreate that on stage.” Where Stryper sort of — you were sort of singing about your lives in a way that was a little more sincere. I find it interesting years later looking back, because those were all the bands that were like scary and you’re really like “Oh my goodness,” you know, and it’s like years later they’re like “Oh, well yeah, it’s just an act you know, just having fun or whatever.”

Michael Sweet: And why is it — well, here’s the funny thing — and two points. First point being why is it okay for “satanic bands” or at least satanic bands is regarding the imagery, and it’s a show as they say. Why is it okay and cool and accepted for that to be okay, but yet, a Christian band putting on a show for God, they’re doing it for the devil, we’re doing it for God, but yet we’re put under the microscope and it’s not okay, because it doesn’t go with Heavy Metal. And it’s like I always find that very interesting and really pretty — pretty silly, because the way I view things is God is the creator of all things, and these people that live for the devil or support the devil or speak for the devil, they’re so quick to say that there is no God and Satan rules, but yet at the same time they believe in the devil but they don’t believe in God, and I find it very — I find it contradictory. I think it’s pretty silly. I mean if you believe in the devil, you got to believe in God, you got to believe that there’s a God, like there wouldn’t be a devil without a God in my opinion. You know, that being said, I think God’s the creator of all things. He created the devil, you know, Lucifer as an angel, and it’s like I just believe that you know we have every right just as they do to portray our faith and our beliefs and put on our show, as they say, as much as they do, as much as the next guy.

C6M: Sure. So, getting back to your music, you guys were sort of trailblazers in a lot of ways. I mean because in a way you guys crossed over — well not really crossed over. Like you were saying, you kind of decided that you were going to basically have your band be your band and your message be your message. But in a lot of ways, it did sort of create a path for other bands to follow. And I don’t know if anybody has ever come to you 20 years later and said anything, but I mean I sort of feel like there wouldn’t be an Evanescence or a Devil Wears Prada or an Anberlin sort of without a Stryper. Even though the music’s different, you know, there’s scripture in their lyrics. They mention Christ and things like that, and it’s just something that I think for whatever reasons you guys got the baseball bat for it, and it’s almost a little more accepted, because you sort of trail blazed for them. I mean has anyone ever come to you and sort of thanked you for at least making it a little easier?

Michael Sweet: A few people. I mean a few bands have, but not many and that’s okay. I mean we just happened to be in the right place at the right time, and back in ‘83, ‘84 and we were able to fortunately be a part of that movement, if you want to call it that, and kind of as you put it, trailblazing and leading the way, and to look at it that way is pretty cool, pretty amazing. It also makes me feel really old, you know. But man, yeah, it’s awesome. It’s awesome to have been a part of leading the way and then to see all the bands follow suit afterwards, obviously just a few years after us, and then now, you know, 30 years after us. It’s pretty crazy. It’s very cool though, exciting to see, man. I just listened to this band called Blessed by a Broken Heart. I don’t know if you’re familiar with them much, but just checking out some of their YouTube videos and it’s really wild, because it’s like the vocals aren’t exactly like Stryper vocals. They are similar in the harmonies and whatnot, but the guitar parts — and there’s so many flavors that I hear that are similar to the old Stryper tones and records, and it’s really cool to see things come around full circle. That’s the ultimate compliment. It’s very cool.

C6M: Yeah, I noticed that and I mean not just for Stryper. I noticed that everything has its cycle. I was listening to Avenged Sevenfold and thinking the same thing with the dual guitars and that kind of stuff. I’m thinking to myself “Wow, that’s Iron Maiden, that’s Stryper, that’s all of that coming back again,” you know.

Michael Sweet: Exactly and for the longest period of time that wasn’t popular, and so much so that it affected us when we made the record Reborn. It came out in 2005. We didn’t do any solos on it. We purposely tried to stay away from doing solos, and especially harmony solos. And I’m thinking this is crazy. After the fact I thought this is crazy, because that’s who we are. You never shy away from who you are. That’s the ultimate mistake, biggest mistake.

C6M: Sure. So, now that you’re back and you’ve been around playing again, getting back into the groove of the new music scene, I mean a lot has sort of changed. You mentioned a little bit about how the sales have gone down. I mean we’re in a new age of music. We’re in the new age of digital download and you know, it started out with the Napster thing, but now iTunes owns everything and things like that. So, how do you feel about how things have changed, because it’s totally different you know?

Michael Sweet: It is. I mean speaking of — it’s funny that you say that, because I’m doing live performances now in this site called Stageit. I don’t know if you’ve heard of it. It’s called Stageit.com and bands from Bonnie Raitt to just — you can go in there, and there are just tons of people in there, rock, soul, R&B, country, whatever. And they’re going in and they perform in their living room or in their studio and people purchase tickets and they watch them on their computers, and that’s technology. You know it’s crazy. It’s really — we’re going down a different path here because of technology and it’s definitely different, but it’s definitely very cool. And I think the more we accept it and go along with it, the better off we’re all going to be regarding musicians and bands, because it’s a new day. It’s not about selling records anymore. The days of selling for bands like Stryper of selling a million copies of a record, those days are gone. They’re long gone. It’s all about downloads and even the downloads by comparison are a lot lower in numbers. It’s more about going out and performing and finding new and unique, interesting ways to stay afloat and to survive. And you got to follow technology’s lead on that, man.

C6M: Sure, sure. It shows you how — it’s weird, but you know, the whole social media revolution, I mean that whole Stageit thing is a part of it, because the fans sort of demand like instant access to everything. I mean sometimes the news of bands breaking up, you know, hits the social media before the band even knows that they’ve broken up.

Michael Sweet: I know. It’s crazy.

C6M: It is crazy.

Michael Sweet: Because anybody can go in on their computer and make it live, you know, and then it’s all over the internet, exactly. So, you can say whatever you want to say even if it’s not true. It’s crazy.

C6M: True, true. So, let’s close by talking about what’s going on now and what’s going on in the near future, what do you have coming up in terms of albums and also touring?

Michael Sweet: I got a lot of stuff going on. I just finished a solo record and that’s really a big deal for me right now and obviously a big push. I’m excited about it. I got Kenny Aronoff drumming on it. I got a few guest players. I got Kevin Max from dc Talk singing on a song with me. I’ve got Doug Aldrich, the guitar player for Whitesnake, playing on a song.

C6M: Awesome.

Michael Sweet: And you know we’re talking to a few other guests about possibly being on the record, but it’s really — it’s a very eclectic, diverse record, consisting of real edgy songs and then going to the extreme and opposite side of real — there’s a song that’s almost the Southern Rock vibe. So, it’s real different for me, but I think in a good way and it all makes sense. It feels good. It’s a really great sounding record. I’m excited about that and I’m working on a book that’s going to be released roughly around the same time the record is released, so sometime this year.

C6M: And what is the book about?

Michael Sweet: It’s just an autobiography about my life — the good and the bad, the ups and the downs and how I got into the music business, the family I come from, joining my brother’s band, the success of Stryper, walking away from Stryper and the low and high points of that, my wife passing from cancer, Kyle remarrying, joining Boston, I mean just all the kind of whirlwind details of my life, and it’s really turning out great. I’m excited about it and it’s going to be a little different from a lot of books you read. It’s just an open, honest book, no pun intended, and most likely will be called Honestly.

C6M: Oh, nice.

Michael Sweet: So, that’s coming out this year. And then working on a rerecord Stryper record, which to most people might not be anything new, but the reason why we’re doing that is we signed a publishing deal and we want to make it easy for them to go after film and TV, and we kind of wanted the challenge of rerecording a lot of those old songs. So, we recorded 14 old classics and two brand new songs.

C6M: Oh, very cool.

Michael Sweet: And that’ll come out this year as well, probably the latter part of the year, and then we’re going to start on a brand new all-original Stryper record probably around January of ‘13.

C6M: Oh, very, very cool. That’s very…

Michael Sweet: So, we got a lot going on. We’re touring. We got a bunch of Stryper dates on the books right now, so far about 24 dates, planning on maybe 10 to 15 more, and then I’m planning on a solo tour. That’s going to be a surprise. I’m talking to a band right now about opening and them being my band for the solo tour, and it’s I think going to be a shocker for a lot of people.

C6M: Very cool, look forward to the surprises.

Michael Sweet: Yeah, people will be like, “What the heck?”

[Laughter]

C6M: Yeah, but isn’t that — that’s the summation of your career, right?

Michael Sweet: Yeah, pretty much.

C6M: So, that’s very, very cool. Hey, thanks so much for taking the time out of your day. I know you’re busy, but I really appreciate to be able to talk.

Michael Sweet: All right, brother. Take care. Great talking to you and be safe, okay?

C6M: You too, all right. Talk to you later. Bye.

Michael Sweet: Take care. Bye-bye.

As I reflected on our conversation, I am reminded of my younger years when I would not just buy every new album that was released, but I would buy it and then absorb it – absorb it all. I stumbled upon Stryper at The Wherehouse, picking up the In God We Trust album and just being blown away by the production value alone. It was a very big contrast to what was out there, but I was starving for something different and they really filled that void. I immediately purchased To Hell with the Devil and everything that came before it. Maybe I was just tired of the same old thing. In reflecting upon it, I can’t say much has changed except that record stores are now a thing of the past much like my youth. Despite this, Stryper still makes it on my yearly play list. It just reminds me of the days when I was desperate for something else in life and I just need something else to fill that void. Sometimes that means I need to inject a little God into my ears because the truth is that the devil is still big business. Even all these years later, I still think about Stryper in this context of God versus the devil as they continue to rock for values that sometimes bring them more ridicule than praise. It’s admirable and makes me appreciate speaking to Michael Sweet as Stryper continues to don the yellow and black attack for another opportunity to rock a new audience. You have to admire them because at least they are still rocking it their way.

If you get a chance, check out their new albums such as The Covering and catch one of their upcoming shows as they tour America this summer. And if you get a chance to chat with any of them members, let them know that Paul sent ya.

by Paul Stamat

It’s a new era in music. Long gone are the days when people could make millions of dollars off of record sales. Long gone are the days when established musicians can even walk around and be discovered or even rediscovered in a small club (the same clubs that they suddenly find themselves in years later possibly still fresh from the memories of days gone by when they literally stood in midst of the hysteria of hundreds or even thousands of adoring fans who just wanted to touch them). Long gone are those days and yet as I have discovered there is still this surge of energy from bands that still makes music for other reasons. Call it a desperate act. Call it scratching and clawing for attention. Call it the new age of music that is no longer about a large mountain with a select few who were lucky enough to go double platinum that stare down at the wannabes below. This era is literally as even of a playing field as their ever was in the history of music. It’s a new era and no mountain – just large plains that include the need for everyone to traverse America in search of an audience. It is referenced all the time as I chat with literally every single musician I encounter (discovered and undiscovered). Those days are gone. But even as I know this, a new dream has emerged. New dreams and better days ahead for those that are willing to work for it.

I am reminded of this as I have conversations with two bands in particular, Capelle, from the UK and Midnight Youth, from New Zealand, who are here trying to make their mark and usher in a new era of their own in attempt to make their own history. They have entered this country largely on their own dime, toting their equipment and are going to places like the Roxy and Viper Room, traveling from city to city in search of an audience. Nic Capelle of the band Capelle tells me that they are literally playing each night out of desperation. As I chat with Simon Oscroft on a separate occasion I hear the similar echo knowing that in order to succeed that they must earn their audience one listener at a time. In an age of digital and social transparency Simon acknowledges that it isn’t a right, but a necessary step towards the prestige of winning over whomever will give them an hour of their time. Both bands know that in order to succeed they will have to earn their place in ways that their predecessors have not.

This is semi ironic as Simon’s band, Midnight Youth, just finished rehearsing this very week at SIR studios and tries to keep their game faces on while running into and playing in the same rehearsal spaces currently occupied by a who’s who list of music celebrities that included J-Lo and Motorhead who were gearing up for their own performances even as Midnight Youth readied themselves for a show at the prestigious Viper Room in a few days. Nic Capelle’s LA story includes playing at the historic Roxy where he relays his own LA experience of seeing porn actor Ron Jeremy walking along the Sunset Strip while they await their turn to play inside. It’s the kind of combination that can only happen in Los Angeles. It’s surreal and so LA. It just wouldn’t be rock & roll without Lemmy and strangely Ron Jeremy.

Growing up and going to the small venues on the strip, I am reminded that this is the kind of competition that bands today must compete with on a daily basis but with the added pressure of competing with bands like Motorhead and others who have an impressive resume in their own right. Can Capelle who just releasedCrooked Deluxe or Midnight Youth who’s second studio effort World Comes Calling compete in an already saturated market? Both bands chase this dream with a very different sound. Capelle’s sound is a freestyle electro cacophony of madness. It’s catchy – so catchy that they have raised a few eyebrows and recently earned a feature in Guitar World. Midnight Youth, already a success in New Zealand chases fans from the same market with a completely different sound that Simon says is big enough for Arenas and stadiums and geared and primed to fill the Viper Room where such a sound might even wake the ghost of River Phoenix on the right night. It helps that World Comes Calling’s lyrics are personal and create a dimension of intimacy that fits perfectly into this larger than life music that plays along side it. It works. I for one will say that there’s something there for both bands to grab hold of if they’re willing to grind it out.

While these bands have their work cut out for them, just listening to each tell me their stories. It reminds me that this is a long journey. Nic Capelle and I discuss this journey in a context that reminds us all that they have youth on their side. But even if they did not, if America offers anything to these bands in search of an audience and maybe even a new identity with an American audience it’s that if Anvil (a Canadian metal band) can succeed, that anything is possible. If nothing else, this should give them hope as they continue to desperately play for their lives. I for one wish them all the best.

If you get a chance check out Capelle’s Crooked Deluxe and Midnight Youth’s World Comes Calling and do all the things you normally do. Find and like their Facebook pages, buy their albums and as always, let them know that Paul sent ya.

By Paul Stamat

When Derek Webb Tweeted, “wait, was i just nominated for a dove award? where did i go wrong??” it was just the latest in a string of issues that the former member of Caedmon’s Call turned solo artist has directed towards the Christian music industry. He later clarified with the statement on Twitter which read, “for those misunderstanding me: i’m not making fun of the dove awards. i just don’t believe in them. and find a nom. for ‘feedback’ ironic.” He’s not the only “Christian” artist making a move to distance themselves from an industry that helped establish them. He’s making a very loud statement. This shouldn’t be a surprise since Derek Webb is a bit of a maverick. His comments about his album “Feedback” receiving a nomination for a Dove isn’t lost on those that remember his objection to his record label removing the song “What Matters More” from the retail version of the release based on his inclusion of one expletive. In so doing they were ignoring the idea that the song was itself an argument against the status quo of hate and for the practitioners of Christianity to get back to a gospel of inclusion. “Feedback” has no lyrics at all. For Webb, and no doubt others, this was a slap in the face to what he believed mattered most to him and spoke volumes about an industry and culture that is known for its copycat music and musicians offering a sometimes spiritual or dogmatic alternative brand of music apart from the larger “worldly” industry. For Webb and others, there’s a greater good that is being ignored in favor of practices and dogmas that are far less “Christian” than most Red State living and Bible thumping Americans have been practicing. This might also be why “Christian” music as it once was is dying. It can be argued that Christianity (at least the American brand) is also dying. This may be wholly attributed to most of the “religious right” getting the most important parts about Christianity wrong and completely ignoring what matters most. But over simplifying faith is really what’s wrong and allowing one class of people to take the fall for issues that most of us have largely remained silent about would do us all an injustice if you want me to be really honest.

Today I feel closer to Atheists than I do Christians. Maybe it’s for all the right reasons or maybe it’s for all the wrong reasons, I don’t know yet. I do not deny the struggle I have, at times, of trying to reconcile the random acts of subtle hatred I see all over the country in the name of a faith that I’ve held dear to my heart since childhood compared to the message that “God is Love.” However strange this is to admit, the bigger issue that I have with the new ideologies of practicing this faith at all is the trivialization of the faith in an effort to ease our suffering. It’s when I see the contradictions that I understand a complete and utter rejection with the understanding of an Atheist. From the outside looking in our love is hate, our gospel is ridiculous and our God must be a fabrication of convenience, control and the desire to make more money. In it’s current state much of the practice of Christianity has become a political, capitalistic, misguided mess in which I often find myself fighting against rather than for these days. Maybe I’m becoming enlightened, or maybe I’m just getting crabby in my middle age, but what I often see when it comes to the American Church is a class of believers that has redefined words like suffering, persecution and poverty as unnatural states of existence that must not mean what we really think they mean. They are states that we need to “seven step” ourselves out of rather than rejoice as we sojourn through them. The church I currently attend actually invokes this prayer after the offering bucket goes by. “As we receive today’s offering we are believing the Lord for:

It’s a prayer that makes me cringe as I think about it. Not because I don’t understand the desire to want things. I resent it because it’s a prayer that reduces the concept of God into a cosmic Coke machine ready to dispense goodies at our request. It’s like saying, “Lord if I give you this money, may you dispense that money in return.” There is a stark contrast between this prayer and the kind the first disciples asked Jesus when they asked how we should pray. According to the new Testament Jesus responded by saying this:

I was recently arguing with someone about the practice of Lent and the idea that giving up beer or chocolate was not so much a sacrifice as it was a diet. If you are unfamiliar with what happens during this time of year on the church calendar Lent is the season in which Christians observe, acknowledge and sometimes walk in a kind of suffering to remind themselves of the ultimate sacrifice that will be paid at the cross. Given that, how can we give up things that are already bad for us and try to pass them off as sacrificial and then in the same breath take that as a serious reminder of what we are supposed to be doing during this season? I wonder if forty days this kind of “suffering” is an acceptable act of solidarity? Does this kind of suffering mean anything at all if our commitment is no stronger than a New Year’s resolution? No wonder why people walk away from the faith when people speak of giving up things like coffee or gum while hating gays and practitioners of Islam without missing a beat. It’s almost laughable. I laughed too reminding myself that the cup that Christ asked to be removed from him was not likely filled with beer. If you want know what kind of reverence the American church holds towards it’s god and the kind suffering that it would rather avoid than learn from, see the first prayer above. Apparently this is really our god and not the God of the second that reminds us to take each day as it comes – one day at a time.

I get Atheism. I do. The reason I do has very little to do with a lack of faith as much as it has to do at times with my disappointment in the execution of the ideologies I hold dear. When I look at how some enter into this season I am left with wonder as I see what is being practiced and with the logic in which it’s practiced and think that it cannot possibly be entirely right. That is to say that if being a Christian means giving up sweets for Lent or it means being greedy for money and more money or if it means hating my neighbor because he’s different, I ask where is the love that is preached and where are our hearts? Where are our true values? Is it in finding jobs and better jobs or is it found in the phrase “Thy will be done?” Sometimes I have to acknowledge that Christianity can be stupid. It is in the same way that I understand how a Derek Webb can want to distance himself from an industry in order to differentiate himself and stand on beliefs rather than dogmas. What matters more, my God or my money? As I travel through the next forty days and I think about the love that will soon lie bleeding on the floor I am reminded that what we share with one another lies in our flaws as much as it is in our execution of our actions. In the end, whether you believe in something or believe in nothing we are all walking contradictions in a search for meaning. It’s because of this reason alone that I have hope. Because if I must choose one prayer as the framework to remind me about my faith I choose the one with less words, more action and the one that begs for my need to take the kind of action that goes beyond my politics, my religion or some branded belief in a partisan and capitalistic religions that I cannot even find in the Bible at all. Maybe I’m still upset because I can no longer even recognize the original idea after it has been mangled by the ideas of men. If you ask me what matters more? Maybe we should all shut up and either love one another or walk away from this entirely before we reduce it all to a crazy pyramid scheme that I’m fairly certain it was never meant to be either.

By Paul Stamat

There’s an old saying. If you don’t have anything nice to say don’t say anything at all. A couple of days after Jeremy Lin and the New York Knicks lost their first game in the Lin era there was the line “Chink in the Armor” posted on the ESPN mobile site. Was it an intentionally racist statement? Probably not. Did it show poor judgment? Definitely. ESPN took it down and fired the employee responsible for the post. The question now has become are we being too sensitive? Surely we’re more evolved than this, right? If nothing else, the headline proves that racism is still a hot topic. It’s a hot topic even in 2012 and even before Jeremy Lin, a Chinese American, lit the NBA on fire over the past ten days. He is a person who should be judged on the merits of his ability to play a game and not the color of his skin. But even while he is becoming a global sensation we are left to wonder how “Chink in the Armor” slips through. What has transpired recently is a good indication that racism is alive and well in America. Maybe it’s not the same kind of racism that we witnessed in the sixties, but then again maybe it is.

Now don’t get me wrong, I know that we have made progress in this country. After all, we elected a President who is African American and born in Hawaii. We have gone through our civil rights movements and continue to go through periods of adjustments in which different minority groups are given legal opportunities to feel less under threat and more included with society. It’s happening right before our eyes as gays are given the legal right to marry. However, never have I been more aware of who I am in the eyes of middle America than I am now. Now that I no longer live in Southern California, I’ve never felt more like a minority. Even in a state as progressive as California, apparently, regions and racial barriers matter. At first, my transition to the North didn’t seem that noticeable. There were/are pockets of minorities here like everywhere else. Strangely it isn’t the fact that there are minorities that exist in sub regions that is different about living here in the Bay area (and the rest of America for that matter). The real difference seems to lie in the reality that the segregation is much more noticeable in middle America because it isn’t “just” about the sub regions. I’m not saying that just because people of different races and cultures settle into their communities that it automatically creates racism. But I am saying that the fact that I see these clearly delineated pockets makes me wonder about what happened to the theory of a melting pot and whether or not we will ever see a truly color blind society.

My father in law often mentions a time in the future when he thinks the economy will collapse and there will be race wars. He isn’t mentioning it because he hates minorities. His reasoning lies in between race and our economy. But when he mentions it, it makes me wonder about how his experience differs from mine or how minorities are responsible for the state of the economy. But I am not a business owner competing against illegal immigrants for labor like he does. That being said I never thought I’d live to see a time of race wars – that is until I think of Arizona and how they have been systematically racist from resisting acknowledging Martin Luther King’s birthday as a national holiday to the way they can legally stop you if you look like a foreigner to the way they have eliminated the study of ones culture if it happens to be Hispanic. I wonder if my views are only different because I’m under sixty and have never thrown rocks at people in order to express my desire to keep the status quo or protect my street (or my race). But hate need not be overt. My mother in law hated the fact that people from Richmond, CA helped open the first Costco in her city. Insert your most hated race here before you must backtrack to explain that it’s a regional attitude that you intensely dislike being brought into your neighborhood. But is it? If they happen to be black is it just regional? If I ask my mother about race, she might agree with them. My mother, who is Korean, sometimes mentions how “black people” are different from everyone else. It took me a few years to understand that some of her reasoning is based on a misinterpretation of the phrase “cold blooded.” My mom’s strict interpretation of cold blooded when it comes to African Americans still makes me laugh.

“They don’t have cold blood, mom – they are not lizards. They’re describing an attitude.”

“Oh yeah they do! Don’t tell me. I know. Cold blood.”

“You know that their biology is different?”

“Oh yeah, I know!”

“You know?”

“I know!”

Don’t worry, my mother hates everyone equally. My in laws have their quirks and I know they all still love me. At least I hope they do. We try to keep our talk of race and politics to a minimum. Most of the time it isn’t relevant anyway.

I married into a family that includes one extended member of the family who is part of a white supremacist gang. He is nice to me and shakes my hand whenever I see him, but whenever I see him I wonder if he approves of my marriage to his white niece. I wonder if he knows or cares that I’m half white. I wonder if he did if that would make things better or worse. I was told when we first got married that another member of the family said, “At least he’s not Mexican.” This is all racism on the periphery, right? Sure, people express themselves, but they don’t mean it. Maybe they don’t. Maybe there is just a hierarchy of allowable hate where one race is better and my existence isn’t as awful as another if I compare myself to lesser humans. At least I’m not Mexican, right?

In my own lifetime I’ve been called everything from a Nip to a Chink. I try to believe that they didn’t mean it. However this past winter, the one that I spent as a painter, I experienced a new one – being called a Mexican. The lady that called me a Mexican apparently expressed her entire argument to the manager of the complex I was working on based upon the fact that since I was speaking Spanish to my co-workers that I must not be able to speak English. The manager asked if she had tried to talk to us and she said that she hadn’t. Why bother? We were all Mexicans. And clearly she didn’t like Mexicans. She didn’t like that “they” were speaking a language she couldn’t understand and that she couldn’t communicate with “them.” I immediately apologized to her in perfect English and told her that we didn’t mean to offend her. I also said that if she had tried to speak to any of us that she might have been surprised that we spoke English quite well. She was embarrassed and apologized. But it made me feel like Spanish was a bad habit I picked up in junior high and high school. Even though it afforded me the opportunity to communicate with people from other countries, it didn’t teach me about biology and how this now makes me a Mexican. Sorry grandma, apparently your granddaughter married a Mexican too. I take this as a compliment because at least I passed all the tests and fully qualify. By the way, if you’re wondering, none of those labels I’ve been called in the past accurately describe me being half Korean. So if you are racist please take notes and be smart about your hate. It’s “gook,” which means “country” and is derived from the word Han-gook which is one of the words for Korea. It literally means “Country of Han.”

Some people say that if racism exists that we should laugh it off because, let’s face it, racism at it’s core is a bit absurd, right? Whether we’re talking about pocket’s of people or blatant hate, I think that it’s still something that is alive and well. Should we allow it to have power over us? Of course not. Should we address it? Yes we should. Every time and in every way whether it’s by serious dissection or through humor. It’s the only way to educate us all on the differences between biology, ideology and culture. Understanding these things is really the only way we can coexist with one another as a society. Now that I’m also a Mexican, I have to conclude that when it comes to racism and what we have in common no matter what our race it comes down to a little struggle over the idea of borders and a simple misunderstanding about who really belongs here anyway. If you ask me maybe we ought to give it all back and start over from a place of understanding rather than ownership. Maybe if we all did that then we could even the playing field just a little bit more and just look at each other as Americans.

By Paul Stamat

This has been a strange year for me and my family. It has been a year full of peaks and valleys that really are hard to fathom because I’m person that is always struggling to put things into a “context.” If you’re like me, then you might also call this search for context “destiny” or “meaning.” I don’t deny that I often wonder if there is a bigger picture or destiny in which we belong. And yes, I understand that sometimes these ideas place me into a minority of people that waste time searching for meaning in places which often have nothing to give back except more questions than answers. But I also believe that I’m a part of a minority that can’t help it. I have come to believe that I must have always been built that way – to have an insatiable thirst for needing to know if there’s a grand story that might one day answer questions like why am I here and, ultimately, what part do I play in being here?

The past twelve months have been rough. They have been so rough and full of so many peaks and valleys that its hard to make a list of everything without wondering what it all means and why everything played out the way it did. It has been both the best and worst twelve months of my life. It was a year that began with me having conversations with just about every rock hero past and present and dreaming about the endless possibilities of my career as a writer. It was also a year that ended on a lifetime low with me painting apartment buildings at 12 dollars an hour. It was humbling. Especially when you consider that I went from living a dream and riding a wave of enthusiasm and hope for an awesome future to nearly losing my faith entirely as I scraped debris and dry rot off buildings. My body ached and my heart cursed my predicament. My hands, once used to type my thoughts, were now calloused and writhing with pain in the joints of every finger. Until today, I had not typed a single article since last October. The well had gone dry. I had nothing left to say. To say that my faith was nearly gone would be an understatement. I downright declared out loud that there was no God. After all, how can a “God” allow suffering?

Sometimes when our lives are peppered with disappointment we can only see the bad and none of the good that is a part of our circumstances. We can’t help it. Sometimes it’s just our nature to want to feel sorry for ourselves and come to absolute and maybe even absurd conclusions. And that was what I wanted to do too. That was what I was doing. That is, until I started paying attention to the story of Jeremy Lin unfold recently. For those that haven’t been paying attention, Jeremy Lin is the first Chinese American born player to play in the NBA. In short he was overlooked by most colleges before he played for Harvard where he was a standout point guard. Despite this he went undrafted by the pros before gaining an opportunity to play for the Golden State Warriors. He got very little playing time for the Warriors before the team eventually cut him rather than pay him his contract. He was finally picked up by the Houston Rockets, who also saw little promise and after a brief stint in Houston was cut by the Rockets as well rather than pick up his Warriors contract. Jeremy was eventually picked by the New York Knicks, who also saw little promise and sent him down to the development league. That’s where the story could have ended. Jeremy Lin, even at this point, could have shrugged and given in to defeat, but he didn’t. Not many stories about perseverance end in defeat.

Just when things were their most bleak for the injury ridden Knicks, Jeremy Lin was brought back up from his brief development league stay to ride the bench as a third option at point guard. It was only after every other option was exhausted and the struggling Knicks were running out of healthy and/or viable options at point guard that Jeremy was thrown to the wolves, so to speak, as a starter. If he failed, at least they could cut him before the date they had to pay him what was owed on his original contract. He could have failed, yet again and finished this season unsigned and unpaid. Instead, he ended up shining during his opportunity and scoring twenty or more points during his first three games as an NBA starter. It’s a film waiting to be made and a film that nobody would want to see because it’s so unbelievable and we all know how little Hollywood cares about Asians in cinema. But it’s also a story that isn’t over yet. Even if the story ended here, it’s enough for me to remain inspired. Because in October I was living my dream too. In October I was talking to a member of Dream Theater (the biggest prog metal bands in the world) only to spend the rest of my winter as a painter. I spent the entire winter wanting to quit, to run away, to give up my entire life because I felt like a failure. If that was my destiny and how my story was supposed to play out, I’m not sure I would have blamed myself for quitting because it just felt like everything I had spent my life trying to accomplish led me to where I was as a painter. I was down. But as long as I’m breathing that can’t be the end. That’s not how most stories of perseverance are supposed to end. So at the moment I can only be grateful for those that prove the impossible is possible. For this I have to thank Jeremy Lin for just being alive and just playing his heart out.

It’s during the bad times that we most need to be inspired. We need to hold onto something that give us hope. We need to be inspired to stay the course, to keep on believing, and to keep on trying. Because no matter how awful things get, if we remember that everything is temporary, we can remind ourselves that things can and do get better. I began with the idea about how I wonder if I am a part of a larger picture. If I am, I also realize that this is a vague, as well as, strange thing to wonder about because most skeptics will immediately discount the big picture as something that is undefinable or meaningless. Because in order to understand the context of destiny or the big picture it implies that there might be higher powers in control. When I think about my life I can’t help but believe that I need to be inspired as much as I need to remain diligent. Because you never know what tomorrow may bring. If I need to be reminded of anything it’s also that we can’t live in the past as much as we should never rest in the accomplishments of our past either. If Jeremy Lin’s story teaches me nothing else it’s that anything is possible. If you watch his YouTube videos, it’s something that he reminds his fans to remember. All things are possible. I am reminded of this as I think about the past twelve months. If I can sink, I can also rise.

So if you are a part of the school of thought, that rejects higher powers, because that might suggest that there might be something (or maybe even some deity) in control of the larger picture. I just think about the story of Jeremy Lin and wonder if there might be something to it. Because if there is meaning that can be found in our trials and tribulations then I might be someone who believes that the second school of thought (the one of hope) might suggest that meaning can be extrapolated from everything. This might mean that everything that is written or ever will be written about ourselves might have already been predetermined and what we are actually doing in this life is just riding out the script so to speak. If this is the case, then the possibility of destiny might exist because we all have a complete story already written for us by a grand author (and/or designer) – if that makes sense. The reason to subscribe to part of this idea lies in the possibility we are meant to live out stories because of the possibility alone that our destinies might be bigger than ourselves – that we ourselves might also exist to inspire others. All you have to do is look at the story of Jeremy Lin who, at least for now, is a hero for us all and who symbolizes “possibility.” I like this because we could all use a little hope and inspiration during tough times. Because what grabs our attention isn’t the story about those who were meant to succeed, but what grabs our attention is the story about the person who faces all adversity and claws their way back into the game and makes most the most of their opportunity. Here’s to Jeremy Lin. But more importantly, here’s to all of us believers and nonbelievers alike who live and breathe for the possibility of a better tomorrow.

By Paul Stamat

For Dream Theater fans September 8th, 2010 was probably a day that none of them could foresee – Mike Portnoy leaves Dream Theater.  For those that were paying attention, Mike had already been on a significant hiatus from the band as the fill-in drummer for the deceased “Rev” on Avenged Sevenfold’s then just released Nightmare album as well as the fill-in touring drummer scheduled to play with the band through the end of December 2010.  For Dream Theater fans, it was a time of expressing a split between hating Avenged Sevenfold and the anticipation for Portnoy’s eventual return to Dream Theater.  That was not meant to be.  On September 8th shortly after meeting with his soon to be former band mates, Mike Portnoy released a statement on Facebook and other music outlets explaining that he was leaving the famous Prog Metal Band of which he was a founding member of twenty plus years in order to explore other opportunities. For many, this was like the shot heard around the world as all the headlines exploded to read, “Mike Portnoy Leaves Dream Theater.”  While fans were left bewildered and wondering what was next for both Mike Portnoy and Dream Theater the answer for the remaining members of Dream Theater was obvious – find a new drummer.  The not so obvious part was finding out who, if anyone, could actually fill the shoes of a Prog legend.  The band and record label would make the search public in a three part series released on the internet in search of their new drummer entitled “The Spirit Carries On” before finally deciding upon veteran Mike Mangini (former drummer for Extreme and touring drummer for Steve Vai).  If anyone had the kind of charisma and presence required to fill the shoes of one of music’s top ranked drummers, Mike Mangini would be a good choice to be sure.  However a year removed from Portnoy’s departure the questions still remain. Could Portnoy be replaced? Would Mike Mangini’s style resonate with fans when the album was finally released and would his personality be allowed to be unleashed during the shows? Or would Mike Mangini simply prove to be the able fill-in himself in the same way that Portnoy proved to be with Avenged Sevenfold?  Upon closer examination both drummers walked into similar situations replacing someone else and were expected to seamlessly represent and play an original idea created by someone else.  No more.  No less.  This is ironic, all things considered and how the two stories of Mike replacing Mike continues to play itself out.  It’s also a question that remains as Dream Theater begins their tour for A Dramatic Turn of Events – an apt title for a band that doesn’t seem to be looking back with its new member in tow.  If nothing else, this new phase of their careers now hangs in the balance of something that is nothing less than a dramatic turn.

I recently got to speak to Jordan Rudess of Dream Theater in order to get a fuller idea of what happened behind the scenes from their perspective as well as what the future holds for these giants of Prog.  What I found out was both enlightening, entertaining and not to mention telling of the band’s steadfast desire to keep churning out music that Dream Theater fans have grown to love and expect.  Check out our conversation with this synth virtuoso as we talk about all things Dream Theater both old and new.

Jordan Rudess: Hey, this is Jordan Rudess from Dream Theater.

C6M: Hey Jordan, thanks for calling.

Jordan Rudess: No problem. How’s it going?

C6M: It’s going well.  Okay, so I listened to the new album, really like it, can’t wait to talk about it, but I wanted to rewind a little and go back over the last year or so and talk about what you guys have gone through in terms of parting ways with a founding member and then going there from the whole thing to a somewhat of a public audition for a new drummer and to where you are now, is that okay?

Jordan Rudess: Sure, no problem.

C6M: So, there are a few things that I wanted to ask about how the whole Mike Portnoy thing went down from your guys’ perspective. I mean were you guys shocked by his departure?

Jordan Rudess: Yes. I was really surprised. I thought that — I thought I was going to be walking into a meeting where we were going to simply talk about where and when we were going to record. I didn’t think there was even a real possibility of that not happening, although maybe if I thought about it from a different perspective, I might have, you know, had that idea. But yeah, we were all ready to go — we were all ready to begin the discussion and Mike kind of like said, “Hey, before you start, you know, I just want to tell you guys kind of where I’m at.” And he spelled it out for us, and you know, basically what he said is he wanted to take a five year hiatus, he thought that — he felt like things were not — you know, that’s great for him, and he thought that giving the band a long break like that, we’d come back and we’d have this glorious reunion, and it would be amazing, it’d sell all kinds of tickets, and the band would be refreshed. That perspective kind of blew all our minds, because none of us were on the same page, the other four members of the group. Basically our jaws collectively dropped to the floor and we were kind of like, “Uh, what?” Like you know, he has his own thoughts and if you follow his career, you can see he’s been doing so many different things, millions of things, very involved with the — he was very involved with Avenged Sevenfold, and really on a — you know, on his own very individual path in life, so you know, when I think back on it, then I can go, “Oh well, okay, I get it now,” you know, that’s what he is, and also a little hard for me to personally understand, I guess, because you know, I’ve been with this band for 13 years, it’s a long time, but he was with this band for over 20 years, so I mean I can only put myself in his shoes to a point, you know.

C6M: Sure, — from an outsider’s perspective, it seemed like the band itself, at least as far as I could tell from just watching everybody else play, they all seemed to have room enough to do solo projects, so it didn’t seem that strange that he was contributing to an Avenged Sevenfold and then doing his Transatlantic thing, when other members of the band were doing Platypus or touring with Steve Vai or doing something like that.

Jordan Rudess: Yeah, right. I mean he was — lately he’s been kind of like the busiest one, doing all kinds of stuff, but then you know, he has that kind of personality too, where he just likes to keep himself really, really busy, and you know, it’s the — that’s just where he’s coming from.

C6M: Right. So, how hard was it to sort of regroup and then figure out what was the obvious next step? I mean was it super easy or was it — did you guys need some time to sort of regroup or how did that work in terms of going and figuring that out?

Jordan Rudess: Well, I think what helped us a lot in this situation is that we all really were sure pretty much from the moment that this occurred, that we wanted to continue making music together. There was no question that we wanted to go on as Dream Theater and just do what we do. I mean to us it was like a no-brainer, that everyone said “Are you okay? You know that’s fine, we’re not going to stop. You know, this is a business, we worked hard on it for many, many years.” So, with that kind of certainty, that kind of assured us that we could move forward. And at that point it was a matter of trying to make some really good decisions about how to move forward. I mean that’s not to say that after this went down that there wasn’t a great deal of — kind of — emotional pain. It was really a blow to lose your drummer and friend of so many years. It was like “Okay, you know, like wow, let’s think about this, what the hell is going to happen here?” So, but the fact that we knew we wanted to make music was you know, one step at a time. We were kind of like, okay, well this is music, it’s a band, we can figure this out and we can find a drummer first of all. And you know, that was one of the first things we had to decide how we were going to do. So, that’s what we did, and we planned — you know, we figured. We realized pretty quickly that we could have a choice of some of the world’s greatest drummers. So, all of a sudden we felt like “Wow, okay, so maybe this will work out.”

C6M: I thought it was really interesting though, as you both parted ways, that you both sort of used that same theme of the spirit carries on. Him and his sort of resignation letter that went public, and then your theme, that you guys sort of chose as you were — as it was represented on that Roadrunner released video documenting the process of finding your new drummer, that you both used that term, that the spirit carries on, and I thought that was interesting. Was that intentional, was that something that was like you know, hey, this is something that we all believe, even though we’re going our separate directions, that we carry on the spirit of whatever this is being — musicians being creative types and doing this?

Jordan Rudess: I think it was just something that works for us, because of the fact that we have a song that’s titled that, and there’s this almost a natural way to fall into that. I don’t — there’s nothing more than that really.

C6M: So, as you went through that whole process of finding the new drummer, I noticed that it seemed that you had — yeah, like you were saying before I interrupted you, you had your choice of some really top tier talent. What was the hardest thing in going through that process? I mean I know, you put them all through a very strenuous test of three steps…

Jordan Rudess: Yeah, let’s see, well, one of the kind of cool things is that we were lucky enough that we — I guess because of the taste that we did it. We made, I think, some really good decisions. And one of the things that was smart of us was to really figure out how to have a meaningful audition rather than just having somebody come in and maybe run through a few songs and you know, do whatever. We really planned it, like what do we need to see from these people, and that whole little process that everybody saw on the documentary, where we divided it into basically three parts, was so great, because it really showed us what we needed to know, got us in deep with whoever it was, and we ended up having each audition be pretty complete and you know, the information was clear about each guy. And basically that was just you know, finding out how they played our songs, and then therefore how we felt with them what we were playing, how they absorbed new ideas, because obviously we do a lot of writing and the material is hard, and we want to know what their contribution could be when exposed to some interesting rhythmic or musical idea, and lastly how they improvised, because a lot of ideas would come out of an improvisation. So, yeah, so we put all of those drummers through the — that kind of test, if you will, and obviously Mike Mangini is the one that we chose, and he was — you know, it’s not that the other drummers were amazing. You know, all of them really were. This was more like a casting call, so once you provided us with the three different elements of the audition and did those well, then it was more about like, “Okay, well, who are you, where are you coming from? How much do you want this job, what’s your commitment level?” You know, many different factors go into walking in taking part in a play or something.

C6M: Right. Was there any one factor that weighed more heavily than the others or was it simply like you went through it and then you said he just incorporates everything?

Jordan Rudess: Yeah, well, Mike got the job because he came in basically saying that — presenting himself as being totally like in sync with the situation, like — kind of like “This job is just meant to happen for me. Everything I’ve done to this point has led me to this point, and it’s perfect for my life, and I’m so into it, and I really want to do it, and I’d be totally committed to it,” you know, that kind of sure, positive, forward energy about it, combined with the fact that he came in and nailed every song, played it perfectly and excelled in all of the other parts of the audition. We had some personal connections with him already through things like James playing on his — I mean through him playing on James’ solo albums. You know, we all knew him from meeting him through the years, and we liked him, so there was enough, you know, kind of checks in that category and pluses that it really made sense. We thought like he was coming from a similar place. So, that was cool.

C6M: It’s really interesting, because I mean if you were to like trace his career though, and that’s where — at least from the outside looking, and it’s where I find it the most interesting, is that — you know, he comes from a background of bands that are stylistically super different than Dream Theater. He came from Extreme and played with Gary Cherone’s other project Tribe of Judah where it’s almost like this industrial music, and then this funk metal style, and then coming into Dream Theater — not that he’s not a great drummer, because I’ve seen him play in the past, and just an amazing thing. So, was that part surprising that he came in and sort of owned it like he did?

Jordan Rudess: No, because as I said, he played with — on James’ album, he’s played with Steve Vai, and that’s some heavy duty crazy instrumental music, and you know, there’s enough similarities in all the things that he’s done. I wasn’t surprised on that level. It wasn’t like wow. I knew he was an awesome drummer, I’d seen him with Vai years ago, so the fact that he came in and just kind of nailed it, it was like “Wow, he’s great, awesome.”

C6M: So, is there a room for him to put on the crash helmet and do his crazy thing in the middle of the shows?

Jordan Rudess: He’s been doing a — he’s been soloing every night, and it’s really blowing some minds. You know, he’s exceptional.

C6M: That’s awesome. So, how do you guys feel about the new album — like I said, I got to hear it, and it’s really kind of interesting that it almost doesn’t really feel that much different. It’s definitely a Dream Theater album in terms of the direction that you guys have gone. There’s a few — I think it was the second song on the album that is only a little different than what I’m used to in terms of what you guys do.

Jordan Rudess: Yeah, right.

C6M: But other than that, it’s almost seamless. Did you really have to sort of recreate yourselves in the studio or was it just like plug and play?

Jordan Rudess: Well, I think people have all different perceptions about the reality of what — of the way Dream Theater’s music came together. It’s a little bit hard for anybody to really get an absolute grasp of what goes into it, and so that’s part of — I guess that’s part of the reason that people were wondering what’s going to happen, because I mean Mike was very much the face of Dream Theater as far as the press goes. He would do so many interviews and people thought, “Okay, well, Mike Portnoy is obviously like a main composer here, and when he leaves, things are really going to change.” But one of the things that happened — and not to take anything away from Mike Portnoy, he’s an extremely talented, capable human being, but when he left the band, one of the things that we weren’t concerned about at all was writing the music, because John Petrucci and I, we are the ones who are writing the notes really, I mean the harmonies and melodies, and Mike was very involved, but he was more involved from a director, producer point of view in the compositions and directing melodies, but John and I are completely capable to write music. That was the concern that was — you know, if anything, that type of concern was more about like “Okay, well, Mike’s not here, so now people can kind of get to see that — if we can write,” but you know, we’re perfectly capable to write the music. There really is a real misconception where people think that Mike Portnoy was the main songwriter in Dream Theater, and that’s not true.

C6M: Right, so that’s…

Jordan Rudess: Very involved, very talented, and you know, a great musician, but you know, you got to…

C6M: Sure, so it was more…

Jordan Rudess: Understand maybe a little — people just maybe will be introduced to more of a reality by looking at this album and saying, “Hey, he’s not on it,” you know, like it’s “Wow, they wrote Dream Theater music, and Mike Portnoy is not even on it, oh my God.”

C6M: Right and it is sort of funny because that is the — I guess like I said — I was mentioning, it was a little bit of a surprise — I was happily surprised that it sounded so good, and you know, it was to me sort of, like I said, a seamless thing. I mean you could tell some of the differences in the drumming styles, but not much. I mean it seemed like Mike was doing exactly what you guys wanted him to do.

Jordan Rudess: Yeah, well, yeah. I mean one of the things that Mike Portnoy did in the studio is he obviously was right there, and he was good at like if we play a riff or something, like Mike would say “Oh, keep playing that,” and he would find an interesting way to turn it around, and it would really come from his mind, and you know, be a drum creation. In this sense we didn’t so much have that, we had — John and I, with the help of the other guys, wrote this music, and we would take the ideas and then present them to Mike Mangini and he would then create his drum part from what we would present to him. So, you know, maybe in the future we’ll do it a little bit differently, but in this case, you know, the accents and the nature of the composition was just presented to him, and then he had to play on those songs. So, there was a difference in how much drum composition went into this album.

C6M: Well, how under the gun did you guys feel? I mean was there a timeline, like an established timeline that you guys needed to write this album in so much time and get it out as quickly as possible given everything (that happened)?

Jordan Rudess: You know, kind of yeah. It’s the usual kind of thing, you know, we’d be in the studio for a while and put it out, you know, we couldn’t just sit around just doing nothing, we had to get the album done this year and put it out and be ready to tour. So, you know, it wasn’t like we said exactly this many weeks or this many months. We could go, you know, a month beyond normal if we needed to, and I don’t remember exactly how long it took, but we were productive and once we got — the only thing that — the thing that made us a little bit, what’s the right word, concerned is that this was an album where all eyes were going to be upon us, you know, like “What are we going to do, you know in this situation? What are we going to come up with?” You know, again, we knew that it’s almost like business as usual, we just keep writing music and we’ll be fine, but we knew there was this extra pressure of “Okay, everybody is really, really watching now, they want to know.” So, you know, John and I felt like, you know, this had to be really, really our very best compositional work, and so we — you know we keep kind of — that’s what we knew. That was the pressure that we just wanted it to be really, really special.

C6M: Indeed, indeed it is, it really is, and I think it’s up there as I think one of my favorite ones. I’ve only listened to it probably for a week now at the most, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. It’s sort of been in my rotation of music, so definitely, definitely pleased. So, what’s next, where are you guys playing?

Jordan Rudess: So, right now we’re kind of at the beginning of our touring cycle, and we’ve got another few weeks around the US to do, and then after that we’ll be touring in December some more shows, in January, we’re going to go back to Europe, and then we’ll probably do — filling the rest of the countries that we want to go to after that. And that’s pretty much what the rest of this year and next year has in store for us.

C6M: Right, tour, tour, tour, right. Awesome, well, thank you so much for taking the time out of your day. I know they kind of squeezed me in there, but I very much appreciate you taking the time to do this.

Jordan Rudess: No problem.

C6M: Yeah, like I said, enjoyed the album and wish you guys all the best on the tour.

Jordan Rudess: Thank you so much, and thanks for your support, I appreciate that.

C6M: Thank you.

Jordan Rudess: Okay man, great. Alright, have a nice night, okay.

C6M: You too, bye.

Special thanks to Jordan Rudess of Dream Theater for taking the time to talk to us.  If you haven’t picked upA Dramatic Turn of Events you should check it out. If you haven’t seen the series that Road Runner released searching for the new drummer you can watch that here. Both the album and the documentary give you an idea about the direction in which they intend to go as they forge ahead in the new era without Mike Portnoy.  Only time will tell what the next chapter brings from these guys, but if their longevity and proves anything else as the reigning Kings of Prog Metal it’s that they don’t intend to give up their throne any time soon.

By Paul Stamat