WARBEAST (Eng.)
– Hello, thanks for taking the time. What’s currently going on in the WARBEAST’s camp?
JOEY – Thanks for the interview. We are currently working on the second record and gearing up for the GWAR tour starting in November.
BRUCE – Writing for the second album is our main focus right now. Trust me when I say this, no one will be disappointed with these new songs. Our debut album ‘Krush The Enemy’ will also be officially released in Europe soon. Then we are going to do our first European tour from March 2 – March 25.
– As we could say you are a new band; could you please make some history of WARBEAST?
JOEY – The band was formed to play a benefit show with no intent on being a real band. But then after the first show some members decided it was something worth doing. I wasn’t in the band originally. The band was called Texas Metal Alliance in the beginning.
BRUCE – The first benefit show back in October 2006 was for our long-time friend Wayne Abney from the band Hammer Witch. He was fatally injured in a serious Motorcycle accident. We weren’t able to get any of the bands from that era that Hammer Witch was from to play at the benefit. So Rick Perry of Gammacide got the idea to get them members that were available from those bands to all combine forces and learn each others songs. So we had members of Gammacide, Rigor Mortis, Hammer Witch and Rotting Corpse all together for what was supposed to be a one-time show.
But less than a week after that night, Scott Shelby, Rick Perry and Alan Bovee from Gammacide called me and asked if I would be interested in making it a real band. It took us awhile to find the right drummer. About 9 or 10 months later Joey Gonzalez from the band Demonseed joined us and the lineup was complete. We kept the name Texas Metal Alliance for awhile and began to write original material. Bobby Tillotson replaced Rick Perry on guitar last year.
– You changed the band’s name to the current one in 2008; was there any concrete reason behind this? And why did you pick «Warbeast» as the band’s name?
BRUCE – I think we actually changed it in early 2009 before we were about to record the first album. We had been talking about changing the name from the beginning. We just never could make up our minds on a new name and sometimes we thought we should just keep the name.
But we finally realized that Texas Metal Alliance was confusing to some people. Some of them didn’t get the fact that we were a band when they first heard the name. They would think we were a support group for Texas Metal. So we finally decided to make the change. Rick Perry came up with the name Warbeast. We had a list of hundreds of possible names to choose from. We narrowed the list down to a few and Warbeast just won out by a majority decision.
JOEY – TMA ….Warbeast….? Warbeast wins it. It is the embodiment of what were trying to accomplish with this project.
– And since then, it took you two years to release your first full-length album, «Krush the Enemy»; why did it take you that time?
JOEY – I’m not old enough to know what it was like for rock n roll in its heyday. But I bet this isn’t it. It’s that much harder to put out records these days… good ones that u can be proud of.
BRUCE – Well when Philip first told us he wanted to sign us, we didn’t have enough original songs for a full-length album at that time. So we had to write more songs before we could enter the studio. Then after we had the songs ready, we still had to plan it ahead of time so everyone’s schedules would work. Not just for the band, but for Philip and the engineer etc. Philip was going to produce it and we decided to go to Louisiana to record it. So we finally came set it up for April and May of 2009.
After we had it recorded… we decided not to rush releasing it. So we actually mixed it 5 different times until everyone was happy with it. Then you have to set a release date a few months ahead of time and get all the artwork and everything else ready for print. It was released almost exactly a year after it was recorded on April 27, 2010. But none of us have any regrets, so we are all glad we took our time with it.
– As I said, your debut album («Krush the Enemy») got great reviews and a pretty nice feedback; did you expect such a good response?
BRUCE – We knew we were proud of the album, but you just never know what the fans and critics are going to think about it. So it was cool to see all the positive reviews and feedback after it was released.
JOEY – To be honest I was completely surprised. I was 19 years old when the record came out so I was tripping balls. I had a record with my band and people dug it! What more could you ask for?
– And now that is has been a while since the album came out and I guess you have had the time of listening to it carefully; is there anything you would like to change?
JOEY – Well I was young when I recorded it so I’m happy with it. But there’s a few nugget’s I’d go back and do again. But as a whole, no waaay! It is what it is… thrash and we got plenty more…
BRUCE – Surprisingly there isn’t anything I would change. That was never the case on any of my past releases. But like I mentioned earlier, we made sure that we wouldn’t have any regrets before we ever released it. Mainly, I just want to improve on my vocal performance and try and evolve as a band even more on the second album. In other words, if you liked “Krush The Enemy”, then be prepared to be blown away by the next release.
– The sound of the band evokes the 80’s with a straight-forward and harsh Thrash Metal with no modernizements. Did you already know since the first moment how do you wanted the band to sound like?
BRUCE – We have members that come from that 80’s Thrash era. So we just wanted to do what comes natural for us. We didn’t really talk about trying to sound like our former bands or any other bands. We just used our influences and experience to write new songs and the end result was Warbeast.
– So, what are the band’s main musical influences?
BRUCE – We all have different influences since we have members of all different ages. Obviously some of the traditional bands like Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Motrohead, Destruction, Slayer etc. My influences go all the way back to some of the 60’s and 70’s bands.
JOEY – Well the guys all have theirs from their generation and I dig all of it. Music is music… except for all digital shit. Learn to play the real deal…that’s what makes it fun. Now I’m not knocking techno but play the shit for real, know what I’m saying?
– And how was the songwriting process? I mean, how did you approach it? Did you aim getting this concrete sound or did you just let things flow?
JOEY – when I first joined the band alot of it was written with a drum machine. But I came in learned a basic formula of each song then thrashed em up.
BRUCE – The guitarists usually come up with the riffs and the early blueprint for the songs. In most cases they add a drum machine and make copies for the rest of us. That way we can get familiar with the songs at home. Then at practice the songs are broken down and then everyone contributes their ideas. The lyrics are always the last thing we add after the music arrangement is finalized.
– This CD was released by Phil Anselmo’s label Housecore Records; how did everything went and how did you get signed?
JOEY – Well I was standing in a club one night after one of my first shows with Warbeast (TMA at the time) and Mr. Corbitt said «I’m gonna get you signed» and he did.
BRUCE – I don’t think there is anything wrong with having a goal for a band. I always believed from the very beginning that this band would get signed by some label. In November 2007 we recorded a 4 song demo. A week later, my other band Rigor Mortis went on tour with one of Philip Anselmo’s bands Arson Anthem. I gave him a copy of the demo and he could hear the potential in the band. So he wanted to sign us to his label Housecore Records.
– And working with such a label, puts more pressure on you or is it a motivation? Anyway, it seems both Phil and Housecore have always given you full support.
BRUCE – The label itself doesn’t put the pressure on us. In fact it is like a family vibe being on Housecore Records. So that right there gives us motivation and we put the pressure on ourselves to make the label happy with us.
JOEY – Well I was nervous as fuck when I met Phil the first time and the first time I meet the guy I have to record the next day. A lot of pressure to perform your best, but that’s the fun part. Testing yourself, pushing to create something you’re happy with
– In fact, I have read Phil was the main responsible for production duties. Are you satisfied with this part of the album?
JOEY – Hell yeah it’s the man helping with our album.
BRUCE – Philip is an incredible producer! He did a great job working with us and he pretty much became a member of the band as we made this album. There is no doubt in my mind at all that he made this a better album by being our producer.
– Though being newcomers (so to speak) you have already toured with ARSON ANTHEM or DESTRUCTION, you will soon tour with GWAR… If you could choose, which band would you like to play with?
JOEY – Slayerrrrr!!!!!!! And Dethklok for me, haha. With anyone really touring is what we work for…we could be direct support for Coldplay or somebody like that, that’d be good or not..
BRUCE – Obviously it would be great for us to do shows with any of the Big 4. Or any of the 80’s Thrash bands like Exodus, Testament, Death Angel etc. Doing shows with bands as huge as Sabbath or Maiden is probably too farfetched to ever think of that happening. It would also be cool to do a tour with bands like Goatwhore, Exhorder, Warbringer, Toxic Holocaust etc.
– And finally, what are your near-future plans? Anything ready for an upcoming album?
BRUCE – We just plan to keep on writing new songs and touring as much as possible. This band is just getting started as far as we are concerned. The best is yet to come! More than half of the songs are written for the next album. So hopefully we will enter the studio to record it sometime in early 2012.
JOEY – Definitely a step up for the beast.
– That’s all, thanks once more for your time. If you feel like adding some final words before we wrap this interview; feel free to do it.
JOEY – THRAAAAAAAAASSSSSHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
BRUCE – Thanks for the interview and cheers to all of our friends and fans out there!
