INVERSION are a killer Sludge type band from Altoona Pa. I should know cause i did vocals for them from July 02 - November 02. I had nuthin but great times with this band. They have a Brutal Live Show. With a Projector that shows a movie the whole time they play. The movie has a good bit of violence in it. But it also has shit from the news, natural disasters, and more. They do Blachtkrust Drumming before and after they play, and at the end of the set RUG blows fire!
So read this interview, then check out the Sludge at their Website.
Interview with Bassist CLETE
Featured Band September 2003
Interview by DJ BUSHMADO
DJ: Who's all in Inversion, and who plays what?
CLETE: Inversion consists of:
Rug-guitar,vocals,blachtkrust
Clete-bass,vocals,blachtkrust
Brian-guitar,bodyslams,blachtkrust
Skotti-sound manipulation
DJ: Could you give us a history/bio of Inversion?
CLETE: Inversion is just a way for the group of us to let out our every day
frustration by channeling it through the music we create.Rug,Brian and
myself have known each other for about 16 years now.We have always played
in bands.We cut our teeth playing punk rock,but we grew up listening to both
punk and metal at the same time.And back then it was almost unheard of.We
have a huge family tree in this area.Some day I wanna do a website of the
Altoona area.We had a lot of good punk rock and crossover(old school
reference)in this town.Skotti has been in the band now for about 3
years.This is his first band,but he has always work with bands,doing
whatever like being a roadie,sound or whatever.But this is his first band
where he has a musical purpose.
DJ: What is new with the band? I heard the 2 new songs, fucking killer!
CLETE: Right now we are looking for yet another drummer.But other than that,we
are still writing.We are going into the studio in October with either a
full time drummer or with a drummer friend of ours who knows the flow.The 2
songs on the website are good songs but they could be better.The new stuff is
better.The songs we have cooked up are some of the heaviest shit we have
ever wrote.That why we are weighing our options about a drummer,we need
the person to be heavy,not all Neil Peart and shit.Don't misuderstand me,I
love Neil Peart and all but we aren't Rush.
DJ: I'm curious, what happened with drummer Zook?
CLETE: Zook has some serious issues that he needs to sort out.He was a good
drummer but we just couldn't work with him anymore.
DJ: I have some Live questions: Do you guys still show the movie on the backdrop while you are playing live? Is it still full of violence? Does Rug still blow fire?
CLETE: Yes, we will always use some sort of visual when we play.We think it
helps get the point across plus people enjoy it. Ahhh the violence.People are
fascinated by violence.It's an every day thing in society. But down the
road we want to get into making our own visuals for the live sets,keep the
violence but do it an a more thoughtful way.Yes Rug blows fire except when
people ask him to do it,then it takes the suprise out of it.It's all about
the element of suprise.
DJ: I've always been fascinated by the tribal Krust drumming Inversion does before and after each set, any chance there will ever be a Krust Drumming session recorded?
CLETE: Blachtkrust is the best part about being in Inversion.It is CHAOS at
it's grandest.It is the only time when people move during our sets.It's
funny.Blachtkrust is just that little push to take it all over the edge,to
have the drums going in a time then breaking apart into chaos.It's fucking
great.
DJ: I seen the music video you made for the song "KB" and i think it is brilliant, especially the part with Rug with a gun, and the whole beat down scene was cool too. How filmed this? Any chance of another video?
CLETE: The KB video was shot in around 7 hours.The concept is this is what
happens when you burn people.The video itself was shot by a man named Johnathn Buchanan(I hope I spelled it right)a director who makes independent films.We shot the video in and around Rugs house.The live parts were shot in the basement of an Appliance Store.It was kind of a rush job to film but we very happy with it,being our first video and all.We definetly want to do more but we will see.
DJ: How would you describe the sound of Inversion?
CLETE: LOUD! Somebody wrote on our guestbook that we remind them of Faith No
More.That's interesting.
DJ: Your new website is very cool, does your Keyboard player Skotti still do all of that?
CLETE: The website is great,Skotti does a great job.What a great guy to have
around,very handy that Skotti
DJ: I hear the scene in Altoona,Pa or as i like to call it El~Tuna is improving thanks to the B.C.C., who started this and what is it all about?
CLETE: The Altoona scene is now healthier than it has ever been and I mean
ever.There are a plethora of bands here.That is why we started the Blair
County Collective,we being a collective of bands of different genres got
together to have a united scene.To help one another and to try to help our
communties.Right now we have about 8 to 10 charter member bands that
contribute to the Collective.Bands included are Inversion,Chapter 5,By Any
Means Neccessary,Suicide Switch,Useless Ambition,The Marauders,Looking for
June and a few others.Right now one of our main focuses are to open an all
age venue with stage,lighting,full blown PA.We are going to start small
with local bands and then hopefully move up to some national acts plus it gives
exposure to some of the great bands we have right here.It's great because
now that the Penn State Campus is now a 4 year school we can cater to the
drunken college kid that loves to spend mom and dads hard earned cash on
good ol rock and or roll.No seriously we wanna do this because it gives
the kids something to do and it gives our bands and other bands a place to
play.You can visit us anytime at www.BCCOLLECTIVE.com.Go there and read what we
are all about.It's good reading.
DJ: Are you currently working with any labels?
CLETE: We don't have any interest from any labels as of yet but we really
haven't shopped ourselves around,we have recorded things but we are kind
of picky on what we put out.But any label that wants to talk,visit the
website and give us a call.
DJ: Any chance of an Inversion home video? That would rule!
CLETE: An Inversion home video would rule,we have miles and miles and miles
of video of us playing live and just fucking around.But we are in the
planning stages of a B.C.C. comp. DVD. Because not only did we do a video but
Chapter 5 did one,Suicide Switch did one,By Any Means did one at the Barnyard
Bash. But we wanna put our videos and then some live clips. But you will know
when it will be completed.
DJ: Who are your favorite bands to play shows with?
CLETE: Some of our favorites right now are Chapter 5 because of the high
energy punk that they lay upon you. Suicide Switch are just fucking insane metalcore. Negative Theory are the shit,just let me tell you that.
By Any Means Necessary are just a strong strong hardcore band with the big
man Carl Orr on vocals,killer band.
DJ: Do you have a favorite or most memorable Inversion Show?
CLETE: The most memorable Inversion show was when we played my wedding
reception and Big Bushmado threw himself through the wall that was pretty
funny. It's really hard to your finger on just one show they all have
significant value.
DJ: What have you been currently listening to in your stereo?
CLETE: The new Janes Addiction is fucking amazing. Anything by Neurosis is
always on standby
DJ: Are there any cool bands you've recently gotten into that you've just found out about?
CLETE: Yeah Shadows Fall they remind me of Iron Maiden a little.
DJ: First concert/show you attended?
CLETE: The first show I ever attended was C.O.C. in 1985 I think right before
Animosity was released.Then 2 weeks later I saw Agnostic Front for the
Cause For Alarm tour.Those shows were on the Penn State Campus at a hall that
held about 200 people and they were always packed.They used to have everyone
from Black Flag to the Meatmen.The first big arena concert was April of 1986 I
saw Ozzy and Metallica at The Johnstown War Memorial for $13.50 no ticket
charges(Imagine that) that was when Metallica came out with Master of
Puppets,Cliff was still alive.I saw them in April and he died in September
or that year so it was cool that I got to see Cliff with Metallica.I was
only 15 at the time.
DJ: Best live band(s)?
CLETE: Neurosis,Melvins,ISIS,Blue Man Group
DJ: Top 5 All Time Bands?
CLETE: Black Sabbath,Neurosis,Poison Idea,ISIS,Subhumans
DJ: Top 5 All Time Albums?
CLETE:
Neurosis - Enemy of the Sun/Souls at Zero
Black Sabbath - Any with Ozzy
Poison Idea - Feel the Darkness
Janes Addiction - Nothing's Shocking
Subhumans - 29/29 Split
DJ: Top 5 Favorite Movies?
CLETE: Star Wars,Pulp Fiction,Raiders of the Lost
Ark,Dead Alive,and Texas Chainsaw 1&2
DJ: What's cooler Vinyl or CD?
CLETE: Vinyl will always win with me because I'm old and still buy vinyl to
this day. Cd is great because they last and you can download and then burn
it.
DJ: Ever think there will be a WhoreActs reunion?
CLETE: I can strongly say that Rug and myself would NEVER play with the
original singer and drummer.They are just too fucked up to even deal
with.Too much has been said and done to patch up any differences that has
gone on between all of us. I mean we did some good stuff but not enough to
do it again.It's a case of I'm glad we did it but it's like going back to
an ex-wife or an ex-girlfriend that you really really can't stand.Who needs
that crap. Not us.
DJ: Smoke any good Bud lately?
CLETE: Yes as a matter of fact we have,I had a relative come home recently
and he brought some Pacific Northwest killer kind that I heavily indulged
in.Good Shit!!! cough cough
DJ: Thoughts on the world in its current state?
CLETE: Recession sucks,War sucks but what can you do.We live pretty much day
by day. We need to focus on our own country and deal with that.We got heavy
shit here that seems to get pushed to the back because of this so called
war with Iraq.Clean up your own first the deal with the others.
DJ: Thanks for doing this interview, anything you'd like to add or close with?
CLETE: DJ it is always good to talk with you and hang out with you. You need
to get over here so we can get that mountain blazing. I would like to give a
couple of shout outs. The B.C.C., Mike Long and the Mort Brothers of
Chapter 5, Big Carl Orr of B.A.M.N. Cheese and the Suicide Switch crew. Chip and Negative Theory(brothers in metal). Jason ex singer of Choking Faith and
last but not least Dj Bushmado for sticking by us and giving us his space
on his webzine.Thank you to everyone who has helped us along the way you will never be forgotten.And last, come see us play when we come to your town.
INVERSION LINKS:
Inversion Web-Site
Blair County Collective
inversion666@hotmail
Download Inversion Music Video KB in our video section
Download 2 new Inversion songs in our MP3 section
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