Jeff: Actually, we're signed to Meteor City Records. I was approached by Duncan from Rage of Achilles who wanted to give our last demo, "Snake Lore," an official release. Since our debut on MeteorCity isn't due until Fall 2000, we thought that it'd be cool to have something out before then and Duncan's offer was too good (and flattering) to refuse. Yeah... the material was originally intended as a demo that'd never reach the public, and sure, I recorded it all on a 4-track, but we couldn't be happier to have R.O.A. give it an official release. Personally, we both love that demo... flubs, tape hiss and all. We're the second release on Duncan's label (the first being Alabama's Molehill) and are damn proud to be a part of it as well as being a part of MeteorCity's roster.
2.) I was going to ask you why you weren't slated to perform at the recent Emissions From The Monolith Stoner Rock festival, seeing as how it took place in your home state of Ohio, but then I realized that it's probably difficult to play live with only two members. Have you performed live before, and if so, how did you go about it? Do you have any plans to add a new member or two to the band?
Alan: No, we haven't played live yet. As soon as we're finished recording the album we're going to start looking for a drummer and a bassist. We haven't had any luck finding suitable members in the past so we're hoping that the album will help attract the right type of people to us. We start recording in about three weeks and we're not even sure who's going to play the bass on the album yet!
3.) On a related note to the previous question, would you possibly have any plans to tour the U.S. in the near future? How about only the states that begin with "O?"
Jeff: A U.S. tour would be great, but only if we could get a slot opening for a relatively well-known band to insure some kind of attendance and exposure. I've read horror stories about underground bands that tried to book their own tours and ended up playing the majority of their shows to under 12 people. It's sad to say, but into todays day and age of an over saturated music scene, fans seem less inclined to come out and see a band they've never heard of. The stoner/doom scene is bigger than ever, but so spread apart that attendance is still less than flattering. I know you gotta suffer for your art, but playing night after night to a handful of people would be depressing to say the least.
Secondly, me and Alan both hold down full-time jobs in which we depend on to pay the bills, buy books and CDs and feed us. If it meant that we'd lose our shirts by touring, we'd most likely turn it down. We're definitely more into this for the artistic expression than trying to attain any type of fame. To eek out an existence through my music would indeed be a dream come true, but I'm too much of a pessimist to believe that it'd ever happen.
This isn't to say that we don't plan on playing out. We are definitely into setting up regular live shows locally. There are plenty of spots to play in our neck of the woods, plus we have a few connections in places like Chicago, Columbus, and Detroit plus bands in other states that we're friends with who could set up shows. Again... I'd love to tour the U.S. and 'make it' through simply playing my music, but this ain't the late eighties Hollywood and we're not Guns 'n Roses.
4.) The sound you achieved on "Snake Lore" is amazingly good, considering you recorded it yourselves on a four-track. I'm excited to hear what your music will sound like once it's recorded in a proper studio. Have either one of you had any professional recording experience?
Alan: No, we don't have any professional experience. We both pay a lot of attention to production and have done our share of playing with 4 tracks at home though. The biggest thing is trial and error, and learning everything you can from friends and from reading.
Jeff: The only recording experience I've ever had is recording the Abdullah demos. I use an outdated Tascam 4-track, $20 Radio Shack microphones and bounce so many tracks that I believe I'm violating some type of unwritten sound engineering code. I've read up on some tips but mostly it involves a good ear and knowing what sounds good and what doesn't. I think the experience of recording and mixing all of the prior demos helped me to achieve the sound I wanted for "Snake Lore" with the equipment I had to work with. I'd love to have pro gear at my disposal, or at least enough tracks that I wouldn't have to bounce them.
I would eventually like to branch out into the sound engineering and production field, and will have my first real stab at it when we record our new CD. We're using veteran recording engineer Paul Hamann (who recorded bands like Pere Ubu, Grand Funk Railroad and Bloodrock), and I'll be assisting him when it comes to the production of the CD.
5.) Rage Of Achilles will be re-releasing "Snake Lore," and then I assume you will be recording material for a new release. Any plans to re-record songs from "Snake Lore" or any of your prior releases?
Jeff: Yeah, we're going to put new versions of "The Path to Enlightenment" and "The Black Ones" on our MeteorCity debut. Besides those tunes, we've come up with around 7 new tracks and we're also using 2 of the songs that appeared on Abdullah's third demo. I still really like a lot of those old tracks and would like them to turn up on something somewhere down the line.
6.) Your music reminds me of that of another band featured in this issue, Solace, in that it sustains a perfect balance between heaviness and melody. When you sit down to write a song, does it just come out that way, or do you have to constantly adjust it so that one aspect doesn't overwhelm the other?
Alan: Speaking for myself, Jeff takes care of the vocal side of things, the riffs usually just come out here and there and the main trick is just arranging them into a song. We try to avoid overly simple arrangements to keep it interesting. And usually the songs fall together surprisingly easy.
Jeff: Yeah... Solace is a great band. For me, the songwriting process is very involved. When I write a song, I usually get an idea for a riff, then I lock myself in a room for hours on end and expand on that original idea. It's a painstaking process, and one that I don't always look forward to, but it's worth it in the end when I listen to the finished song.
I usually have an idea of how I want my songs to turn out, which is always a balance between a heavy riff and a more somber and melodic vocal line. Coming up with a suitable vocal melody is the final (and hardest part) of writing a song for me, because I feel the vocals can make or break a great song. A heavy foundation and melodic, emotional vocals not only makes for a very intriguing contrast but completes the circle for me when it comes to writing a song.
7.) Is there a special meaning behind the name "Abdullah?" Any Middle-Eastern connotations, references to Lovecraft, a tribute to the wrestler, none of the above?
Jeff: When we started out, we played more in a sludge-core vein. It was very ugly and bludgeoning. The night before our first practice we were watching an old wrestling documentary with the Sheik, Dusty Rhodes and Abdullah the Butcher. Abdullah's brutal attitude echoed our own musically so we borrowed his name. Of course, now it means something else... basically just a weird, nebulous name that can bring up different meanings for different listeners. It totally works for what we're doing.
8.) Where did you find the old woodcut that's on the cover of "Snake Lore" (at least on the version I have)?
Jeff: It's from a 13th or 14th century series of woodcuts from Albrecht Duhrer that's based on the apocalypse. Durher is an artistic genius. I wish he was still alive so that he could do our cover art.
9.) I tried to order a CD compilation of your old recordings from Brainticket Records, but they said you had pulled it off the market. Why? Any chance they'll be re-released in the future?
Jeff: It wasn't a compilation, it was our third demo. The copies I sent to Brainticket were the last ones I had, so technically the demo is out of print. One of these days we plan on releasing our first 3 demos on one CD even though the material is non-linear to say the least. Abdullah's sound changed considerably on our third demo. Incidentally, 2 of the tunes from our 3rd demo, "Conundrum" and "Now Is The Winter" will be on our new CD.
10.) I first discovered you on the internet. How big a part do you think it's played in your getting noticed?
Alan: The internet has played a big part in getting us noticed. There is a great "stoner/doom" scene online and it has helped us tremendously. We have a web site at http://web.raex.com/~aseibert/abdullah.htm.
Jeff: If it wasn't for the internet, we'd be completely unnoticed. I think the only non-digital exposure we've received was in Metal Maniacs. With sites like stonerrock.com, Roadburn, Stoner Rock Rules, et al. our music was exposed on an international level in a very short period of time and minus subscription rates and cover prices. The internet rules. Al Gore... I owe you a beer.
11.) I was able to download two complete MP3 files of your songs from the internet, which was a great help in determining if I liked your band or not. It seems that independent/underground musicians have embraced the internet as a way to gain exposure, while it's the more established major label artists who already sell millions of records that have come out against it. What's your opinion on this? Do you think it's simply a matter of artists who know that their music is stale and boring being afraid of competition?
Jeff: This is a tough one. No matter how much regulation the government puts on the internet, pirated MP3 formats of major label-backed records will be readily available for public consumption. Bands like Metallica may seem like cry babies because they claim that they're losing money due to MP3 technology even though they're already millionaires, but other lesser known acts would be considerably effected if the masses simply downloaded their records off of the internet instead of purchasing them at their local record stores. As it stands right now, there are still not enough people in the United States that can afford MP3 technology that would rob bands like Metallica of their livelihood, but prices on technology are always going down. I still don't believe that most people would prefer MP3 files on their computer or pirated CDs of these files to the actual label released CDs, but I guess the threat is still out there. I say bring back the vinyl LP into prominence and the whole situation would be avoided. I'll still admit that if it wasn't for the internet we'd be virtually unnoticed. Let's just say that I can see both sides of the issue.
12.) Who are some of your current favorite bands or artists, in any genre?
Alan: Church of Misery, Kool Keith, Electric Wizard, Paul Chain, Necrophagia, Ozric Tentacles.
Jeff: The Hangmen, Liquid Jesus, I Love You, Solace, Motorcycle Boy, early Funkadelic, Agents of Oblivion, Bob Marley, Irma Thomas, the Nymphs and Drunk Injuns.
Thanks a lot for participating in this interview!