Interviews

Wycked Synn

This is Ken Orth, guitarist and writer for Wycked Synn. He and myself have been mutual friends for a few years and since I am such a huge fan of his work I am pleased to introduce the House of Metal's first Interview. (myself is B, Brandon, Ken is K).

B: Ken, Nice to see you long time no see. So how’ve you been lately?

K: Working my ass off in the studio on the new record.

B: I’ve heard something about you doing guest projects with other bands as well as launching a website (kenorth.com) that will feature all your stuff, what’s the scoop?

K: Yeah, sooner or later it will happen. Once the record is finished I’ll have time to pursue other things that I’ve put on the backburner. Our label is finishing up on the "Ken Orth" website and it should launch soon.

B: What ever got you inspired into playing guitar and writing music and why did you start Wycked Synn?

K: I originally wanted to play drums but a guitar was a lot cheaper so I took it up instead. (Laughs). Wycked Synn started as a project of mine but after the record was done I decided to make it into a full band project with maybe a tour to follow. The tour never happened because these @$$hole promoters don't even want to feed their bands let alone pay them.... so we stayed home.

B: Wycked Synn has parted ways with Vocalist Gary Grant, can you elaborate on that and how is Tom (new vocalist) working out for you guys?

K: Tom is awesome. Gary and myself had different idea's of work ethic's so I did what I had to do and gave him his pink slip. He's still a real great guy but just doesn’t want to give 110% like the rest of the band..........this just doesn’t fly with me.

B: If you could tour with any band what would it be?

K: Judas Priest!!!!!!!! (with Halford).

B: What equipment are you presently using?

K: My guitar's are custom ESP's and my amp set-up is 2 Peavey Triple XXX heads and 4 cabs.

B: Who are some of your favorite and most influential guitar players?

K: George Lynch, Jake E. Lee, Doug Doug Aldrich and Tony Macalpine

B: What does the future hold for Wycked Synn?

K: Ton's of more music that's for sure. "In for the kill" will have some guest appearance’s on it from a few musician's that everyone in the metal genre will know and it will be some major ear-splitting, head snapping metal for all us diehard "REAL" metal fan's to enjoy.

B: Thanks for your time, can’t wait to hear the new disc!

K: No problem. I can’t wait to hear it either!

visit them on the web at: www.wyckedsynn.com

Glenn Fricker - Specture Sound

(Betrayer's Producer)

This is a local Recording Engineer/Producer Glenn Fricker. He has produced many a bands from Betrayer, Woods of Ypres, Bloodshoteye and many more. He recently built a top of the line studio you'd only expect to find in big cities. The man is very intelligible about his trade and I think anyone interested in this field will be presently surprised at what he has to say. 

B: Hey Glenn how’s it going, what have you been up to recently?

G: It's going well.... I've recently completed Woods of Ypres' "Pursuit of the Sun & Allure of the Earth" and I've got several other projects on the go right now.

B: How are you finding it to work with the guys from Betrayer and how have they been in the studio?

G: Betrayer has always been a lot of fun to work with. There's a great personality dynamic between the guys, so that makes for a lot of laughs. Not to mention, they've become excellent musicians. They've been great.

B: Are they a lot harder to work with than the other bands you’ve produced?

G: No. I find each band brings it's own challenges, some more than others. On this new Betrayer project, the band has worked at a very professional level. They've been extremely well prepared, and they've performed brilliantly. The thing that will slow down a session more than anything else is a musician that doesn't know his part. The last thing you want to do, as a musician, is learn the song in the studio. On this project, that hasn't happened. We've been able to concentrate on getting outstanding performances, instead of listening to someone flounder his way through the songs. Making a bad record is an easy thing. Making a good one takes commitment. Betrayer has really stepped things up on this project.

B: Off the topic of Betrayer, what got you into metal and hard rock?

G: Judas Priest's "Screaming for Vengeance." I was 14 years old when I first heard it. I'd never heard anyone sing like that before. I originally thought it was 3 guys! Then I found out it was just Rob Halford, and that just blew my mind. That whole "The Hellion" intro made my hair stand on end. No other kind of music had ever done that before. From that point on, it just took hold of me.

B: Who are some of your favorite bands?

A: Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, Black Sabbath, Megadeth, Kyuss, Corrosion of Conformity, and lately, Fireball Ministry. Hell, there's a million influences I could mention, but those are the main ones.

B: I know that most studios accentuate from one style of music to another, what made you choose to do solely metal and hard rock?

G: Actually, I record a lot of Celtic music as well. I enjoy those sessions as I get to work with a lot of instruments I normally wouldn't get to record on a metal session. That being said, I specialize in metal because it's incredibly difficult to record. I like the challenge. There aren't too many studios in Canada as a whole that can record metal and do it justice. I love the music, so it makes sense to work in a style that I really enjoy.

B: Who has been your favorite band to work with thus far?

G: Shit, if I answer that honestly, I'll really piss a few clients off (laughs). Suffice it to say, there's only been one project I've ever done that I didn't enjoy. That was four years ago, and it still leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Again, every band I work with brings new challenges, so it's always enjoyable. But, to name a few, I'd have to say Betrayer because of how much they've improved, and how great the new material is. Woods of Ypres, because David Gold is a fucking brilliant songwriter. Aven Aura, who have to be the most prepared and amazing musicians I've ever recorded, not to mention, they flew Janne Saarenpaa, THE CROWN's drummer, in from Sweden for some mind-blowing drum sessions. Wolfbait... They're a Detroit comedy/metal band, and I've never laughed so hard during a session before. One of the songs was titled, "Eat Pussy till we Puke." You get the idea. Lastly, I'll say Bloodshoteye. There's been massive improvement with that group, and they're always a blast to work with... that and they brought in Randy Blythe from Lamb of God to do backup vocals. Very cool.

B: The New Studio, How did it gradually form and come to be as great as it?

> A: I spent a good five years in a basement studio, and realized if I wanted to take things to the next level, I was going to have to build something new. That's when I started researching, and found an Acoustician from Australia named John Sayers. He runs a little web forum dedicated to studio design & construction. I learned a LOT from John & the regulars on that board. That, and I read everything I could get my hands on about the subject. I did around a year's worth of research, found a suitable location, and then spent the next six months designing and constructing the new place. My good friend Steve Chaisson, who is also the studio's guitar tech, did most of the back-breaking construction work, whereas I did the electrical & audio cabling. The whole idea of the new studio was to build something that could compete with a large commercial facility, with no compromises..... something that would let me mix with confidence, knowing that what I heard in the studio would translate into the real world. A year after the fact, I can honestly say we've pulled it off.

B: What type or equipment do you prefer analog or digital? 

G: I was trained on analog, and I've still got my old edit-all sitting on my desk as a sort of totem. Let me tell you, I do NOT miss editing tape with a fucking razor blade! I really want to call up my old audio prof. and say, "Hey, thanks a bunch for making me spend all those countless hours editing tape! I've never used the skill once in my professional career..... fucker!" Analog is outdated & overrated. The people who hate digital are the ones who spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on antiquated gear, or just don't "get" what digital is all about. Digital is a harsh mistress. If you fuck up, it WILL sound bad. Analog is much more forgiving. The thing I can't stand is the "analog is automatically better than digital." method of thinking. That's just pure bullshit. There are a great deal of horrible sounding analog records out there. Go check out Savatage's "Hall of the Mountain King" or Testament's "Practice what you Preach." Those records are analog, and they sound like shit! To put it another way: If I were to buy a Fender Strat & a Marshall stack, there is no way in hell I'm gonna make that guitar sound like Jimi Hendrix. It's the same principle for recording: A 2 inch deck is not automatically going to give you a great sound. The sound all depends on the skill of the engineer.

B: Why don’t you find Pro-Tools to be as helpful as Saw Studio?

G: Because it's overpriced & underpowered. Pro Tools falls under the "new product every year" method of marketing, whereas they release a new, updated version of their system every year, enticing the user to shell out huge amounts of cash for crap they don't need. To run a full blown Pro Tools system, you have to not only buy the software, but their hardware as well. Not to mention effects plug-ins for the PT standards are significantly more expensive than any other API. SawStudio on the other hand, is written in machine language, so it's about ten thousand times faster than anything else on the market. It's written by one guy: Bob Lentini. A certifiable genius who also happens to be a recording engineer. I'd much rather have my software written by someone who records music than by a committee of lab techs. Bob also has the best tech support I've ever encountered, and he's accessible for development suggestions & bug reports. He actually gives a fuck about his customers, and I have nothing but the utmost respect for the man.

The program itself is brilliant. 72 tracks, 5.1 surround mixing, awesome channel EQ & compressors, and the cleanest digital mixing algorithm ever conceived. That's the kicker: EVERYONE bitches about Pro Tools' mixing buss. There's just something about it that isn't right. SawStudio, on the other hand, does it with a different kind of mathematics, with far better results. Go check out the new Woods disc to hear what I'm talking about! :)

B: What are your future plans as far as bands you’re recording and anything else?

G: Hopefully we'll get Betrayer back in next year to finally do a full length! I've also been working with Aven Aura from Toronto, and that should be finished early next year. There's also lots more to come from Bloodshoteye & Mister Bones. The next few months are going to be busy ones. Beyond that, I'd love to do some more national & international acts. Meanwhile, I'll keep refining my technique, and pushing my gear to it's limits. Eventually, I'd like to be able to quit my day job & do this full time. I can always dream.

For More Info on Spectre Sound visit them on the web @ www.spectresound.ca

Betrayer

Due to the release of Betrayer's second official album (not including the demo EP and other recordings done over the past 5 years) I decided to contact drummer Shawn "Caveman" Bastien about it. He is a grateful man for the success Betrayer has been receiving over the past several years.

1. Hey Shawn, how's it going, what have you been up to recently?

SB: Hey Brandon, I've been helping the band get situated, and working with the band on our material.

2. What got you into Metal/Hard Rock and what was your inspiration to play drums?

SB: My brother owned a drum kit. I played off and on as a kid, but I didn't fully take to it. It was probably years later when an inner voice made me feel that the drums were a big part of my life. Within a couple months I met Jeff and history began. I believe it was God calling me, because the feeling I had was simply amazing, and as soon as I followed it, success followed as well.

3. Can you elaborate on the near 5-year wait between Rusted Icons and Shadowed Force?

SB: After the unofficial release in September of 2000 we got together with a company named S&M. They would help us launch the beginnings of Icons. It was months later that we met Mark Wolf. Mark helped us gather a new release for Icons and a stellar performance on working to release it stronger, and more focused. We left S&M and started thinking about our future. There was a man Derek McDonald that owned a company named Diskery. He had told us about a Music Video submission, we started thinking about it, but never fully came through. After a couple recorded singles (Anger's Release and Paranoid) and one project (Thou Art a Shield for Me) we started to come to terms that we needed to get things started for new material. During the five years we had set a path for us in knowing the next release would be grand. When we started with Shadowed Force, all ready this was proven to be grand.

4. How would you describe Betrayer music?

SB: Spontaneous, yet true to the form of art. We've done a lot of stuff that people could label us as, but we continue to surprise some with mixtures of influences and tastes. Betrayer has a positive message in our songs that you would have to see 'outside of the box' as one would say. We don't want to be labeled as one simple style, but as a band that is in the great category of Heavy Metal music.

5. Is Betrayer currently in talks with any labels (major or indie) or have you had an offers in the past?

SB: There are many people that are interested in us, only time will tell. Thanks to Rusted Icons setting the path as I said, Shadowed Force has an easier journey to make. I believe the success with this EP will be great. I also believe the following album will have an even greater journey thanks to this EP Shadowed Force.

6. How far would you say Betrayer has progressed since you recorded Rusted Icons?

SB: Greatly. We were a band that had already recorded a demo under the name Swarm. With the band name changed to Betrayer, and a simple call to Glenn Fricker of Spectre Sound [see above], we began this journey for our first album (Rusted Icons). To this day I look at it as another demo, but from all the experience we learned from the studio, marketing and live shows, I would say our progression has come to a blossom, yet we still have many more springs to blossom within. If we can stick to this path and grater paths, our progression shall double. We have come along way thanks to Rusted Icons.

7. How has the fan reaction been to the recently released EP?

SB: Amazing! I cannot begin to express how much love is guided towards our band. The support is endless, and this only proves that people want to hear Heavy Metal music. We gained amazing hits to the site; we have gained bigger

orders and more to come, and great praise alone. Today is only the 29th of March, the album was released on the 22nd (last week) . there is still so much more in the making! Good or Bad, I look at this as great experience added, just like Icons.

8. As far as writing songs, what comes first (lyrics, riffs, melodies, etc.) and who does most of the writing?

SB: Jeff took it upon himself to write Burden of a Pacifist. He wrote all the lyrics to the songs and then as a band we came together to add our bits and pieces. It may sound new and well produced, but you can still hear the lingering sounds of Betrayer. On average, it's a whole band effort to make these songs. If one member is not creative in the progress, then how is that Betrayer? This band stands as one, and I thank God for that.

9. What has been your greatest or favorite show to date and can you give an account of it?

SB: There are too many to add. Although sound has been against us in pretty much 95% of our shows, I'd have to say the opening of Iron Maiden, Dio and Motorhead, as well as the Phoenix concert theatre. There are so many shows we've played, but Toronto shows stand out. Personally, one of my favorites was an Oshawa show at a venue called the Dungeon. That night was just unexplainable; it was glorious! I remember we signed so many CD's, I gave away a shirt I was wearing (eh, the crowd wanted it), sticks and picks. It was just a moment of metal heads coming together and becoming one.

10. If you can play on a dream tour (with 5 other bands besides yourselves) who would you want to play with?

SB: Rush, Styx, Queensryche, Alice Cooper and Winger . There are so many bands to choose from, but I would love to just be apart of a show with an inspiration I grew up to. Of course, I could have added really heavy bands, but I'll leave you with personal memories.

11. What are some of your songs to perform live (Original or Cover)?

SB: There are too many songs to list. I could sit here with the whole set list if you wanted me to. Lets just say I love playing our songs at shows, and the songs of our inspirations. That's the whole beauty of music, you just get to go on, be yourself and share the music with music lovers. It's endless.

12. If you guys were suddenly given the chance to tour the world, had your songs being played all over radio, MTV, and were gaining major popularity etc. How would you react and would you do it?

SB: It would be a breath of fresh air. We've started this band just for that, to give back to the world as we have received our gifts to share with the world. Music is great, people may not be able to agree on a style or a band, but at the end of the day if you ask anyone if they just like music in general, people will say "DAMN STRAIGHT" . It would also mean we have achieved the beginning of our main purpose that we have set out in our hearts. To think, giving what you love back to these wonderful music lovers, I cannot express myself enough!

13. What are Betrayer's future plans (as well as yours)?

SB: More shows, near future promotion of the EP Shadowed Force, working on the new material for an upcoming album, and just keeping our friendship within in the band stronger. The bass player could hate the guitarist, but if the bass player and the drummer don't get along, we got problems. It's just better to have EVERYONE together in unity as we continue our dreams, our focuses and our love. Thanks to the people that give us this chance, and above all, GOD!

For information on Shawn the rest of the boys in Betrayer, visit: www.299.betrayer.ca