Interview with vocalist Guy. Conducted by DJ through email. New CD "Fused Together In Revolving Doors" out now on Robotic Empire.
Name,age & role in The Red Chord?
Guy, 21, vocals for The Red Chord.
Could you give me a history of the band?
We're from the North Shore area of Mass. Kevin (guitar) and I were in a band previously for several years. After several lineup changes, and a instrument change from drums to guitar, Kev, myself and Mike (drums), along with Kevin's older brother Bobby and our old bassist Rob played our debut show as The Red Chord in August 2000 with Blood Has Been Shed and Undying at Cafe Mio in Taunton, MA. In time, we had several more lineup changes and eventually picked up Adam from Beyond the Sixth Seal on bass and Gunface as our second guitarist. It was only when we started playing with Gunface and Adam that I believe we truly took on the identity as The Red Chord. We did an east coast tour on a 3 song demo last summer (summer 2001) and just recently put out our full length Fused Together In Revolving Doors in March. That brings us up to about now.
What does the name "The Red Chord" mean?
It was from a German play. This schizophrenic guy slits his lovers throat and while standing over her returns to his normal personality and said "My love..what is that red chord across your neck?". I get carried away with little details and was all psyched when I read that and eventually we used The Red Chord as the name. The schizophrenic ends up tossing the murder weapon into the ocean, chases after it and starts drowning. A cop hears the dude drowning, and walks away so he doesn't get nightmares from it, and a bunch of little kids laugh at the son of the dead woman while dancing around her body. The play was pretty deranged. Friggin Germans.
What's new with the band? Any plans to tour?
We're currently doing whatever weekends we can now. In June we're doing a 6 day shot from here to the Orlando Magic Fest in Florida and back, some of the dates with the likes of Between The Buried and Me and possibly Misery Index. In July, we're doing 3 weeks with Germany's Caliban, A Life Once Lost and Victory Record's newest signee Dead to Fall. That tour tentatively will see us playing both the Hellfest and potentially the Milwaukee Metalfest. For two weeks following the tour, we will be bouncing around the midwest and west coast either solo or with a tourmate, but that's all still up in the air.
Can you tell me about the new record "Fused Together In Revolving Doors",where was it recorded?how has the response been?
The record was recorded in 4 days in early December 2001 at New Alliance Studios in Boston with Rock N Roll God, Andrew Schneider. We've yet to receive an all out aweful review, so it's been fairly well received and it seems to be getting around.
How did you get hooked up with Robotic Empire and will you be releasing future records through them?
This is a one shot album with Robotic. Our next disc will probably be on a bigger label, but nothing is set in stone. I met Andy at some party with a bunch of friends. A brawl ensued. Bones were broken. Andy ended up with a recording of our track Catalepsy as well as a ride back to his hotel from me and Mike. We stayed in touch, sent him some more material and agreed to a record.
How is the scene where you guys are from?
It's ok up here. You'd probably expect it to be bigger based on the volume of 'big' bands that come out of the area. Overall, Mass is a very hard scene to break into and fairly unforgiving when it comes to giving new and unknown bands a chance. When the big bands play, it's really big, but local shows can go one way or another. We've had fairly decent luck so far. Best of luck to most bands trying to get shows in the area...clubs are scarce and you get paid garage.
Do you still do Mosh Etiquette Productions? The Mike Patton interview ruled.
I'm glad you enjoyed the Patton interview. He didn't seem to enjoy it that much, but thanks anyways. Most Etiquette is dead, kinda, but I'm still doing CD reviews and I fully intend on putting together a zine of my own at some point fairly soon.
What was the best show you've played? how about the worst?
We played a show in Orlando Florida in front of 3 people, and Providence RI in front of about 10 while I had lost my voice. We played one particularly memorable show at Funrama in Philly. It was a basement, we opened and there was about 100 people crammed in, wall to wall. We played and it looked like the entire room was shaking. Pretty awesome. Made my day.
What was the craziest thing you've seen at a show?
I got off to a rough start. One of my first shows straight hardcore shows was Blood For Blood, Reason Enough and Polyglot at the Rat in Boston in 1996 (?), I think. Believe what you want about crews or whatever, but that was my first crew experience. During Blood for Blood, a fight broke out, and it looked more like a war. People beating each other, and eventually all the dudes on one side ran out of the room and it wound up being a bunch of guys kicking one dude. Somehow a mic stand made it into the mix and this guy got busted up really bad. A few guys took him to the back door, threw him out in the back alley and Blood For Blood just continued. One my way home, the ambulances were just getting there 30 minutes later and carrying away the pieces that used to be this dude. Gruesome stuff.
It was between that and seeing Buried Alive's first show in Mass with All Out War at some hall in Lynn Mass in front of about 20 people. During Buried Alive's set, pretty much every person in the room was moshing and that was before they even had a CD out. Definitely made my day.
What band got you into metal?
I got a bunch of grunge records to start me off, which lead to Pantera and within a few weeks I picked up Napalm Death's Scum. That pretty much started the search for extreme music.
Do you like King Diamond?
Nope.
Who would win in a fight, Glen Benton or Glen Danzig?
Glen Benton and the Deicide boys challenged the entire country of Norway to a fight, and won by forfeit. Glen Danzig sang mother. Scarier, I'd say Benton (as goofy as Deicide can be), but Danzig is diesel, so he'd probably pound him.
Do you remember your first metal show? if so who played?
Well, I outlined my first hardcore show above...metal...umm...I saw one of Cave In's first shows at some hall in northern Mass back when they were still angry and didn't sound like Oasis. A bunch of bands including Cast Iron Hike, Gambit and Ten Yard Fight used to play that whole circuit all the time and I used to go to some of those shows. There were some other local metal bands I'd go see including Humans Being, Point 04 (who eventually reformed as Unearth), Big John Studd and Five Seconds Expired (who ended up becoming Non Compos Mentis). The first real metal band I can recall was a death metal band from Maine called Rare Form. They looked like Sepultura, banged their heads, the drummer sang and had dreads down to his wang, and they covered a Slayer song. Pretty frickin metal.
Top 5 bands?
Cryptopsy, Faith No More, Mastodon, Misery Index and Buried Alive.
Top 5 cds?
Fantomas- Director's Cut, Stone Temple Pilots- Core, Lykathea Aflame (an incredible band from the Czech), Cryptsopsy- None So Vile and Suffocation- Effigy of the Forgotten.
Favorite movie?
Evil Dead Trilogy, FIght Club, Bookdock Saints.
Favorite TV show?
The Simpson's and Gunface...the greatest public access show ever. I watch the old X-File re-runs when they're on.
Favorite TV channel?
I don't want much TV. Discovery channel..whichever one that crodile hunter dude is on.
If you could tour with any band who would it be?
We've been attempting to tour with Misery Index for some time now and it looks like that might actually happen. If Buried Alive and Suffocation both reunited and decided to take us on tour, I might not be able to contain myself.
Anything you'd like to add or close with?
Thanks for the support. For all our contact info and tour info, check www.theredchord.org. See everyone this summer while we're on tour.
The Red Chord site
The Red Chord @ MP3.com
The Red Chord photos
Robotic Empire