Although the origins of death metal have been disputed time and time again, there’s no arguing that Death, Possessed, and Necrophagia were pioneers in the genre. Although the latter doesn’t tour anymore following the sad and untimely death of singer Killjoy aka Frank Pucci (RIP), the other two tour to this day, although with different configurations.
Photo credit to Alex Solca
Originally the project of guitarist / singer / founder Chuck Schuldiner (RIP), Death exploded onto the scene with their first album, ‘Scream Bloody Gore’ (1987). They soon followed up with six equally compelling and crushing full-lengths before their fearless passed away in 2001 due to cancer complications.
Death To All serves to fill the heavy void left by Schuldiner as a tribute to his songs and his fierce, unmistakable delivery. Today, the band features singer/guitarist Max Phelps (Exist, Cynic), drummer Gene Hoglan (Death, Dark Angel, ex-Testament, Dethklok, Strapping Young Lad), bassist Steve DiGiorgio (Death, Testament, ex-Sadus) and guitarist Bobby Koelble (Death).
‘The Scream of Perseverance Tour’ started at the Milwaukee Metal Fest on May 18th and will inevitably wrap up in Phoenix on June 28th. For those not paying attention, the first night find the band playing ‘Scream Bloody Gore’ in its entirety as well as classic tunes from ‘Leprosy’ and ‘Spiritual Healing.’
The second night will feature ‘The Sound of Perseverance’ as well as timeless classics from the more technically-challenged ‘Human,’ ‘Individual Thought Patterns, ‘ and ‘Symbolic.’ Additionally, they are doing a few shows dubbed ‘From First To Last’ which find the group playing a little of everything from the band’s recorded output.
We caught up with Gene Hoglan AKA The Atomic Clock to get the skinny on the upcoming East Bay shows at Cornerstone Berkeley.
Capital Chaos TV: The upcoming shows in Berkeley will be celebrating two different Death albums. What are the greatest attributes of the different drumming styles? Any harder than the other to reproduce?
Gene Hoglan: We tend to lean a little more to the technical stuff, but both albums are extremely challenging in their own right. That is especially the case trying to rehearse with and play along to ‘Scream Bloody Gore’ as I am doing my best to emulate a very young person. I was no great drummer when I was 18 and I think Chris Reifert might have been around 17, so that album poses its own challenges. There are definitely some meter issues. I had them when I was a kid, so I totally understand trying to go back and play something that is 37 years old. As a matter of fact, I believe May 25th was the 37th anniversary of ‘Scream Bloody Gore.’ It has its own challenging style because it’s more brutal and caveman-esque. There were no rules back then, so you were just trying to play as hard, fast and tight as you could. Chris did a great job and it’s a classic record. We got to see Richard Christy a couple of nights ago and that was really amazing. Richard has a completely different approach. He said, “I had some real big shoes to fill with yourself and Sean Reinert (RIP), so I just tried to do my best versions of you two.” We (all Death drummers) all went overboard on our own albums, but Richard has a very outside of the box approach to his drumming, so that makes his stuff pretty challenging. I try to pick up all the nuances and just do the best I can. I pay homage as much as I can to both guys’ styles. They’re both challenging in their own regard.
Capital Chaos TV: Your tenure in Death was legendary. Which of the records was more difficult and why?
Gene Hoglan: I wouldn’t say either were difficult. However, the actual physical recording of ‘Symbolic’ was challenging for me because I threw my back out the day before we started. I have no idea what I did. I was in the shower and bent down to get my bottle of shampoo and all of a sudden my back was out. Chuck and my drum tech at the time, Steve Good, carried me to and from the drum kit. I had one arm on one guy’s shoulders and one arm on the other’s and they would help carry me to my throne. When we were checking out songs afterwards, I had to sit in this really strange position in a chair to be comfortable. ‘Individual Thought Patterns’ was put together in about three weeks or so and we didn’t have a lot of time. I remember being really proud that we put this album together so quickly. Sometimes, I have to learn material overnight to be in the studio the next morning. Other times, I learn the songs as I’m in the studio laying tracks down. One major difference between ‘Individual Thought Patterns’ and ‘Symbolic’ was we had about nine months to put ‘Symbolic’ together. ‘Individual Thought Patterns’ sounds very rushed and kinda like a bull running through a China shop. ‘Symbolic’ had a little more polished feel and groove and sunk into the pocket a little bit more. We took quite a long time to craft the songs, hone them, work on parts, bring parts in, and toss them out.
Capital Chaos TV: Are there ever plans to re-record the records with current players?
Gene Hoglan: We haven’t really ever thought about it. We tend to consider ourselves a live entity. We are geared for playing live and touring as opposed to recording. Re-recording the songs and doing a cover album would possibly be something to consider. I wouldn’t imagine much dissension from Chuck’s family. We’re always in contact with them and want to make sure we’re always doing right by Chuck’s memory. We’re not averse to a live record, though. When we are on fire on tour and record the shows, it’s possible we could put out a live album every night because this band is so tight. Bobby, Max, and Steve are such great players and it really sounds like the original album when we listen back to the recordings.
Capital Chaos TV: Which countries had the most voracious fans?
Gene Hoglan: There are a number of great cities here in the states. Denver is psychotic! Holy moly! Denver was one of the greatest crowds in North America. You’ve also got Montreal and Vancouver as Canada always brings it. Los Angeles is always crazy and Chicago is killer. We’re in NYC right now and tonight’s show is sold out. Last night, we did ‘Scream Bloody Gore’ and then tonight we’re doing the ‘Sound of Perseverance.’ Santiago, Chile is crazy as is all of South America really. Mexico, too. Eastern Europe, Estonia, Latvia, Serbia, and Romania as well. Everywhere we go the crowds provide a built-in screaming session.
Capital Chaos TV: You use click-tracks with Dethklok. Do you find having a constant metronome takes away from the live and much looser feel associated with DTA and other projects?
Gene Hoglan: No. The click track with Dethklok is mandatory because we’re playing to the screen that’s behind us. We’ve got to make sure that every downbeat matches up with every lip flap (technical term for mouth movement) when you see Nathan Explosion singing. There are times when the click track all of a sudden, for whatever reason, just goes away. I’ve got to make sure that I’m playing tight and memorize the show file. I’m pretty good with all the contingencies that come with a show, but it’s a fun challenge and responsibility to have. Dethklok is great fun. Death To All is obviously a much looser feel live. I love when you can move around the beat each night. You can feel that extra RPMs in your system and then lean into the songs even harder. I’m always trying to maintain a pocket for the rest of the guys so they’re not coming back to me after the show asking “What the hell happened, man?” Once we start locking in to the various tempos on the early part of the tour, we’re establishing the ones that feel most comfortable with. Obviously, we can’t exactly match the album tempos, but we don’t really try to fly through them as well. Just because you can play a song at 1000 miles an hour, doesn’t mean you should.
Capital Chaos TV: Are there plans to keep DTA touring into the next decade and more?
Gene Hoglan: We love playing and jamming together and being on the road. We’re all pretty light-hearted and have a good time together. As long as there is a demand for DTA, we will try to fill it. If the crowds start going away, we certainly won’t kick a dead horse. We’re all pretty busy with our “real” gigs, so this is a side thing right now. It’s really up to the fans to ever have this become a full-time gig.
Death To All play Cornerstone located at 2367 Shattuck Avenue in Berkeley on Friday, June 21st (playing ‘Scream Blooody Gore’) and Saturday, June 22nd (playing ‘The Sound Of Perseverance’). Doors open at 7pm and things kick off at 7:30pm. Canada’s own Cryptopsy and Aggression open each night. Tickets are just $36 and can be purchased at cornerstoneberkeley.com. The 2-Day option is already sold out. All ages are welcome.
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Eddie Jorgensen
Categories: Death To All, Gene Hoglan, Interviews, News
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