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Last year, Chicago's favorite band of bikers, boozers,
and losers came together to release their second triumphant platter of power metal.
SKULLVIEW are the goddamn kings of the goddamn universe, and guitarist Dean Tavernier
is not going to let you forget it!
What's up with the next release?
Total obliteration of failing corpses!! A metal onslaught, the likes
of which most of those pretty haired, well groomed, neatly dressed
progressive types will not understand. That is what is up with the
next release!!
Any plans to leave RIP Records here in the States?
There are no plans. Why would we want to leave RIP records here in the
States? We've sold more albums overseas through RIP on our first album
than we have done thus far being connected to Massacre Records with the
new album. There is no reason to leave RIP records. They have all we
need as a band. Let's face it, I can't name too many bands that are on
big labels that I like a whole lot, but there are tons of killer bands
on smaller independent labels. To me, that means there is something
wrong with the bands that major labels are signing. They sign shit!!
We won't subject ourselves to that. Sure if someone made an offer that
could not be refused, then we would think about it. But to be honest,
I don't see that happening. We offend too many people and don't follow
the "rules" like nice boys. The labels that can't handle that seem to
stay away.
How's the distribution deal with Massacre for Europe?
Well, I didn't like the way they tampered with the CD. They put artwork
on the CD itself, and to me that was kind of lame. I guess it looks okay
and all, but it definitely is no RIP release!! They did not print
the "Smoke Til Death" printing on the cd. This is exactly what I was
talking about before. They did not approve this through us, and had
they asked, we would not have allowed them to do that. We just cannot
have that kind of conduct from a label. Since it is a distribution deal
only, then it won't hurt us. But if they come calling to do some bigger
things, we know what our answer to them will be!!
Any talk of you doing a tour overseas?
There is talk all the time. But that is all it is....mere talk!
Do you guys play out often in your area?
Not very often. If someone would like to play a show with us, then we
will do it. We don't get too many offers to play, and we do not take
the time out of our schedules to line up shows around this area for
ourselves. There are bands around here that try to do all they can to
get a gig on the weekend, for what? A couple of hundred bucks? Where
are their albums and their kick ass songs? Well, they ain't playing
them live, I can tell you that much!!! They don't exist!! They spend
all their time working on their gig schedules, and they end up doing
nothing but annoying people around this area.
Are there plans to release vinyl versions of your albums?
Come on, we can't even get Kings of the Universe T-shirts made, so I
wouldn't count on vinyl.
What did you do differently on Kings of the Universe than you did on
Legends of Valor? Like in terms of writing or the production, etc....
Well, on Legends of Valor, Joe [Garavalia, drums] and myself wrote
the bulk of the music. On Kings... we wrote with more of a band
effort. Arrangements, structure and things of that nature are pretty much
the same. We did some things different in the studio the second time around,
and it went much quicker. We tracked everything as a band this time around,
rather than taking turns playing our individual parts. It resulted in a
faster and tighter means of playing. We also used different amplification.
Fender, Traynor, and Mesa Boogie power on Kings... made for a much
better sound that the Marshall, Boogie, and Hartke sound that we had on
Legends.... So There are a lot of things that we did differently.
Does the warrior on your album covers have a name yet? Will there be
songs specifically written about him in the future?
Do you have any suggestions for a name of the barbarian that haunts our
album covers? Possibly, we may name him after the Oklahama Metal
Inquisitor....Jerry "Skullhead" Harber. Skullhead sounds like it might
be a good name, don't you think? Really I don't know. I'm sure he'll
make more appearances on our albums. We have not discussed writing
skull songs about him, but this is a brilliant idea. May I steal it?
Of corpse! What are your thoughts on the return of the "classic" or
"power" metal style? Do you feel most of the newer bands are playing it
the way it should be played?
Who am I to say if a band is playing the way it should be played? All I
know, they won't be going into my CD player if I don't like them!! The
way it "should be done" varies with every band. It is the bands that
are doing it just because it is popular at the moment that make me
sick!! I'm sick of people talking about "the return"! There is no return!!
Don't people understand that it never left? I guess to a lot of people
it did leave, because they kept following the flavor of the month for
all these years. Fortunately for us, there is an easy test that has
recently come to pass that can weed out those who don't belong. It is
called the "Magica" test. Anyone who doesn't worship the new DIO album
is completely and utterly in it for trend sakes!!!
Name the last five albums you bought and actually liked.
SPIRIT CARAVAN, Dream Wheel
Here's a little game I played with a couple of the guys in TWISTED TOWER
DIRE. I'll name two singers who fronted the same band. You tell me who you
like better and why....
You mean to tell me that you actually have the courage and tenacity to
play games with the guys in TWISTED TOWER DIRE? I know they don't take
too kindly to game players.
Paul Dianno or Bruce Dickinson?
Each singer is great for their respective albums. I would have loved to
hear Dianno singing "Quest For Fire."
Ozzy or Dio?
Again, same as above. I would say Dio is the better singer, but there
is no other person that sings like Ozzy. He is totally original, as is Dio.
Don Doty or Ron Rinehart?
Rinehart, though they were both fitting for DARK ANGEL.
Kai Hansen or Ralf Scheepers?
Ralf Scheepers.
Sammy Hagar or David Lee Roth?
Both.
Chris Barnes or George Fisher?
Does it matter? They are both pretty brutal at what they do.
Got any final comments for all the bangers and rivet heads out there?
Go see a show sometime. Get off your asses and attend a metal concert
every once in a while. Around Chicago, it sure seems that people like
to stay at home when a metal concert happens. What is wrong here?
DIO, Magica
WIZARD, Bound By Metal
sHEAVy, The Electric Sleep
IRON MAIDEN, Virtual XI