Interview: Katja Kruzewitz
1. Let us start with the band history as usual. When did it start? How did you get in contact with the other guys? Have you played in other bands before? What has happened until now?
Jeff: I played in a few bands that never really went anywhere and where I had limited input in the creative process so I decided to form my own band. In late 1998 I got together with a few friends and formed the first incarnation of Abdullah. At the time we were playing very slow and harsh music in the vein of EyeHateGod and Cavity but things fizzled out pretty quickly. We recorded a few demos during this period but it quickly became apparent that things weren't going to work out because all of us were into different things. So I found myself on my own again and decided to write and record a few songs by myself and in the process ended up producing our third demo. I used this to try to get others into what I wanted to do and ended up meeting Alan not very long after. We both shared the same vision of the style of music we wanted to create and soon thereafter recorded our "Snake Lore" demo. We sent this out to various record companies that we felt would be friendly to our heavy and melodic approach to music and ended up landing deals with MeteorCity and Rage of Achilles. Now that the new CD is out, we're concentrating on getting together a full band so we can begin playing live shows and tour. We kinda did things backwards in that we wrote and recorded 2 entire CDs before actually focusing on getting together with more musicians and forming a "real" band.
2. Why did you choose the name Abdullah? And what is the meaning hidden behind it?
Jeff: Like I said earlier, when Abdullah was first created we had more of a brutal, sludgey vibe going on and wanted to find a name that would echo that attitude without being overly cheesy or melodramatic. I came up with Abdullah because it sounded kind of vague but in sort of a mystical and foreboding way. The actual source of the inspiration was the wrestler Abdullah the Butcher but things have come so far since then that I don't really connect that with our name now. Now I like to think of it as something that people can identify their own meaning to... something ambiguous and esoteric.
3. As far as I know Abdullah was no Doom band in the beginning, am I right? You released four demos, how did they sound like?
Jeff: I guess I touched on this earlier. Even though we started off sounding an awful lot like EyeHateGod we still had our share of doom influences: Black Sabbath, of course... but we were also big fans of the first Cathedral record, St. Vitus and the Obsessed. Our first demo was an unrehearsed jam that was caught on tape and that I later put vocals to. It was totally unplanned but laid the foundation for what we would later transmogrify into. As far as how it sounded, I guess I'd say it's like avant garde sludge metal sorta like Harvey Milk or some of the more experimental sounding Floor songs. It's probably hard for most people to listen to, but I gotta admit that I hold a soft spot for it. The second demo was more focused and contained actual songs but sounds uncomfortably close to EyeHateGod and Iron Monkey except for the melodic vocals I snuck in here and there. Neither of these demos were ever released publicly but that's not to say that I'm not proud of them just that I thought they were a little unfocused. The third demo was pretty much a solo venture on my part but I still decided to consider it an Abdullah release. The sound on this demo is much closer to what we're doing now in that a stronger sense of melody was maintained amidst the sludgey and doomy backdrop. I sent this demo out to various fanzines and ezines and even came away with a favorable review in Metal Maniacs. During this whole time period, I had already hooked up with Alan and we were in the process of writing and recording our fourth demo, "Snake Lore." That demo definitely lives up to our vision of what we wanted to do musically and definitely combines a lot more stoner and traditional doom influences.
4. How had been the reactions on your demos (concerning media & fans)?
Jeff: The response to our third demo and "Snake Lore" were fantastic. We got a ton of positive reviews for both all over the world, but it was definitely "Snake Lore" that garnished us the majority of the positive feedback. It was definitely more attention than I ever expected to receive, but then again I tend to approach most things from a pessimistic and fatalistic point of view. I guess that's a good attitude to have when writing doom metal, though.
5. 'Snake Lore' (demo no.4) was re-released by Rage Of Achilles. How did you get in contact with them? Tell us everything interesting about 'Snake Lore', please.
Jeff: It all happened so quickly and effortlessly. I received an email from them expressing interest in Abdullah and responded by sending them "Snake Lore." I received a response from them a few weeks later saying that they wanted to give the demo a full release "as is." It was as simple as that. We were already signed to MeteorCity at the time and they were cool with allowing Rage to release "Snake Lore". It's still pretty unbelievable for me... especially since the "Snake Lore" tape was originally intended as a demo to a demo. Some kid I worked with had recently built a home recording studio and expressed interest in recording us as his first project. In order to prepare, we laid the tracks for what eventually became "Snake Lore" so that we'd have something to bring to this guy to let him know what we were all about, what kind of sound we were looking for, etc. Well, the studio time with him never panned out, he sorta flaked on us, and we decided to just go ahead and send the stuff we had recorded ourselves to various zines, record labels, etc. I never dreamed that it would be picked up for an "official" release, but here we are. Some reviews tear the sound quality apart but some people really love it. I personally think it sounds great. Very warm and spontaneous.
Alan: The recording of Snake Lore was an exciting time for me. It was all done in Jeff's old house, a small place, kind of like a large apartment. We did the rhythm guitar tracks in a little hallway between bedrooms. I think there were two or three 'sessions' for the basic tracks a couple of weeks apart. Drums were done immediately prior to the guitar tracks using Radio Shack mics suspended with a precarious combination of broom handles, duct tape, and weight plates. I did the guitar solos weeks later on several different days while sitting on a futon with Jeff next to me on the floor working the four track (complete with short circuits and a headphone amp that was full of static!). The middle part of Path to Enlightenment was improvised and done in about 15 minutes. Jeff did his vocals alone whenever he got his lyrics and melodies worked out. And contrary to what has been reported many times, there is a bass track on Snake Lore. I played the bass, just following the guitar lines to add some heft. What made it so exciting was hearing the songs come together bit by bit. After each part we added they sounded better and better, and once the vocals were down and the songs were done I thought we had created something special. I forgot that it was originally intended as a demo for a demo. It was a good thing that we didn't end up working with the guy Jeff spoke about. We started to get a bad feeling about it when we visited his house. There were bibles and crosses everywhere and he told us that he was the music director for his church. Hey, nothing wrong with that if that's what you want to believe, but it's not the proper atmosphere for an Abdullah recording! The incident that really freaked us out was when he whipped out an acoustic guitar and started singing us a Crowded House tune. You should have seen the looks on our faces.
6. Abdullah is a two-peace band now. Are you looking for new band members? Or are you glad that there are only the two of you?
Jeff: We've been actively looking for people to round out the line-up for a few months now but haven't turned up anyone that really lives up to our expectations yet. When we were writing the material it was nice having just the two of us because we think so similarly about music. We felt that if we tried getting somebody else involved at this stage may lead to conflicts so we forged on alone. However, now that we want to start playing out live it's totally frustrating not being able to find musicians to complete our line-up.
7. In case you get new band members would you like to continue playing drums or singing (or both?)? And what about Alan?
Jeff: I'm going to switch over to vocals only. I love playing drums but can't effectively do that and sing simultaneously.
Alan: Well, I'll continue on guitar. We've been talking about getting a second guitar player to help out with live shows so we can recreate the sound on the albums better. We have also been throwing around the idea of Jeff taking on the rhythm guitar role. It's all kind of up in the air right now. I know Jeff has been working on his guitar playing but singing and playing at the same time can be a lot to handle.
8. Tell us something about your new album. You re-recorded some of the old songs for the new album - why?!
Jeff: There were quite a few songs that we recorded demo versions of that we wanted to release professional sounding versions of. It was kind of tough narrowing it down to just four, but at the same time we didn't want to put a bunch of our old songs on the new CD. We wanted to give those people that have heard our older demos and "Snake Lore" the chance to hear some new material. Besides, I'm constantly writing new songs and really wanted to use some of my new ideas. We still plan on re-recording some of our older tunes for the next CD, though. I really love alot of those older songs.
9. Where and when did you record the songs? Did you enjoy the work in the studio? Are you satisfied with the result?
Jeff: We recorded the new CD this past July at Suma Sound Recording right outside of Cleveland. A ton of classic albums were recorded there by the likes of Grand Funk Railroad, Bloodrock, The James Gang, and Pere Ubu. I found out about the place working with another band who recorded all of their stuff at Suma. I now know why they were so loyal. I can't explain how much I enjoyed working on the CD there, even though we were really pressed for time. The engineer, Paul Hamann, is a great, laid-back guy to work with and really got a killer sound out of us for the low budget we had to spend. I think all in all we spent around $2400 and recorded all of the tracks in under 24 hours, mixed them down in about 10, and spent a few more hours mastering it. Suffice it to say, there were alot of things we wished we had the time to do and other things we wished we could have changed after having to rush through things the way we did, but it's all lessons well learned and I still think the CD sounds great. We wanted "big" and I feel that's exactly what Paul gave us. At first I wished the outcome could have sounded a bit "dirtier" but now I'm glad we didn't go that route. Too many stoner bands have already tread on that ground and I'm happy now that we didn't follow suit.
Alan: Suma is a really cool place to work at. It seems like it's in the middle of nowhere. You have to drive down a very long dirt driveway surrounded by trees to get there and then you come in to a clearing with this old rambling house that they've converted into a studio. They've got all the great records by Grand Funk and Bloodrock up on the walls, and the gold record for "Play That Funky Music White Boy" by Wild Cherry! There are piles of studio magazines, papers, tapes, and assorted studio debris everywhere. Several cats and dogs wandering in and out. I believe a lot of equipment, including their main board, was built by them. There aren't racks and racks of blinky, shiny, studio gear there, just your basic workhorse effects. And Paul really knows how to use it all. I think the place has a great vibe and we'll definitely be returning in the future. As far as the album sessions went, it was enjoyable but I think we were both feeling some stress due to time and money constraints. I guess that boils down to money constraints! But we were also working with a bit of a deadline over our heads because we wanted the album out this year instead of next if possible. We really powered through the tracking and mixing. At some points I felt like there was a platoon of Marines behind us yelling, "GO! GO! GO! You maggots!!", or something like that. But we were real confident in the material and not too worried. Like Jeff said, it was a learning experience for us and we'll be even more prepared next time. We'll also make sure we have some more time to relax and really craft it. But I'm real happy with the results on this album. I played it constantly for a month or two right after we got it back.
10. Did you already get reactions on the album?
Jeff: We've gotten a few from some people who have purchased the CD overseas and all of the reactions have been very positive. I hope to hear more once the CD has had time to circulate.
Alan: I've seen six reviews so far. They've all been good and I'm glad that some people are liking it. It's really rewarding to have an interest in something you've created. I would do it regardless but it's less depressing this way! Takes a bit of doom out of the doom.
11. Do you have a favourite song at the album?
Jeff: Man... that's a tough one. I guess I'd probably have to go with "Awakening the Colossus" because of the heavy emotional and gothic overtones, but I'm very happy with all of the tunes. I know alot of artists who become unhappy with their work as time passes, but I've never had that happen to me.
Alan: I like them all. If you twisted my arm though I'd probably say "Awakening the Colossus" also. I think we really hit the mark of heavy doom on that one and Jeff's vocals make it a little gut wrenching for me too.
12. Who made the cover and what does it show (sorry, but I did not get the cover from your label)? Why did you choose it?
Jeff: Me and my brother created all of the artwork for the CD. I had a particular vision in mind on how I wanted the packaging to look and I'm very pleased with the way the artwork turned out. I wanted the images to convey a sense of the gothic and esoteric while incorporating more organic and earthy overtones. I think my brother is one of the best artists out there in conveying themes like this, right up there with guys like Dave McKean, Joel Peter Witkin and Stephen Kasner. I think that visual aesthetics are just as important as the audio contained within the CD and really wanted the two to complement one another for our CD.
13. I got your album from 'I used to fuck people like you in prison Records'. But you signed with Meteorcity Records for the USA, am I right? Why did you choose this label and are you satisfied with the work they are doing for you?
Jeff: MeteorCity licenses all of their catalog to People Like You for release and distribution in Europe, so we had no say in the matter. Even though, I am very happy with the work People Like You have done in promoting the CD and they are all really helpful and friendly guys to deal with. They even agreed to release our CD as a double-lp gatefold for the vinyl enthusiasts!!! I've already seen several full color ads that PLU and Century Media have put out in Europe and have seen reviews of the European version of our CD online, so those guys are definitely doing a great job in trying to give us a push.
Alan: We're fans of a lot of the bands on MeteorCity. I think it's important for us to be on a label with a good track record right now. There's the awesome Solace album, Eternal Elysium and of course Spirit Caravan's "Dreamwheel" among the rest of the great stuff they have put out.
14. Tell me something about your lyrics. On which terms do you concentrate? When and how did you write them (a certain ritual or anything like that)?
Jeff: I'm very influenced by the writings of authors like William Blake, John Milton and Edgar Allen Poe who focus on supernatural and quasi-religious themes. These elements definitely shine through in my lyrics but I like to add an intimate, first person feel to them. I also like to touch on a subject but not delve into it so far as to reveal my personal feelings on it. That way the listener can come away with more of their own interpretation of what the lyrics are all about. When I write my lyrics I usually lock myself in a room and with the song playing in the background I jot down everything that comes to mind. When I have enough material written down I go back and piece it all together. However, alot of times pieces of lyrics come to me in the pre-dawn hours before I awake and I have to scramble out of bed to record them before they're forgotten.
15. What about playing live? Do you have session musicians for your your gigs? Or don't you play gigs?
Jeff: Like I said earlier, we're still looking for people so we can take things to the stage. We were lucky enough to have Jamie from Boulder lay down bass tracks for us in the studio, but unfortunately not lucky enough to have him as a permanent bassist!!! Incidentally, I've never performed live in my life so it's a daunting prospect for me to say the least. There's so many bands that I want to perform with, though, that I can't wait to get things going. I especially can't wait to share the stage with bands like Tummler, Boulder, Spirit Caravan, Slow Horse, Penance, and Solace.
16. Do you think that Abdullah is a part of the Stoner Rock scene or the Doom (Metal) scene (or a part of both)?
Jeff: I think we incorporate elements of both movements in our music, but I'd have to say that I hear more of a doom influence than a stoner one. I say that because the majority of our songs have a downer vibe going on while the gist of stoner rock seems to be more about fuzzed out grooves. But on the other hand, I think we have more of a groove-oriented vibe than traditional doom bands like Candlemass and Solitude Aeturnus. I also hear a very strong gothic influence in our sound and I'm pretty sure this is anathema in the stoner circles so I guess what I'm getting at is that we can best be described as gothic-doom-groove-rock. Does that help?
Alan: We're part of it if people say we are, I don't think anyone really has control over that. That being said, I certainly don't mind being called stoner or doom because I like most of the other bands that have received that label. Out of the two labels I prefer doom.
17. How do you create a new song?
Jeff: Usually I get an idea for a riff in my head... alot of times either right as I'm falling asleep or right before I wake up! I know it sounds strange, but sometimes I even dream that I'm jamming out on the guitar and when I awake the next morning sometimes the idea sticks! I'll then hum these ideas into my trusty old micro cassette recorder and end up working out other parts on guitar at a later time. After that I usually demo out the song myself, listen to it incessantly and then work up the courage to tackle the hardest part: coming up with the appropriate vocal melody. This process can take from several hours to several weeks but for some reason it's pretty excruciating and exhausting and I'm always terribly relieved when it's all over. Even though what I'm describing doesn't sound like much fun, the end result is always emotional exhilarating and therefore worth the effort.
Alan: To this point I haven't been able to hear an entire song in my head before hand. I'm usually messing around on the guitar and come across something. Or I'll sit there with the guitar and a certain feeling in mind that I want to come across in the music. Once I have a piece or two I try adding to it. Try adding a riff before it or after it, just keep messing around until something fits. For solos, depending on the song, I'll usually be able to tell whether or not I want to improvise something or work it out before hand. I'm usually under pressure when I improvise but those tend to be my favorites when I hit a good one. Next time we record I'm going to try both methods, work out something ahead of time for each song and then improvise on a separate track and pick the best ones. This last time around it was pretty much sink or swim baby! Hope I kept my head above water at least.
18. By whom or what are you influenced?
Jeff: Musically I'm influenced by bands like Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden, Type O Negative and Agents of Oblivion: bands that combine languid melodies with heavier foundations. I grew up exclusively listening to Sabbath and Maiden... those were literally the only two bands I would listen to. Inevitably that paved the way for more aggressive styles of music like Slayer, Voi Vod, DRI, etc. and I thrashed along to stuff like that for the majority of my high school years. It wasn't until I heard "Nothing's Shocking" by Jane's Addiction and later bands like Liquid Jesus and Alice In Chains that I finally started incorporating bands with more melody into my musical diet. Finally, years later bands like EyeHateGod, Acid Bath and the Melvins really struck a chord with me with their SLOW and HEAVY approach to songwriting. It was at this point that I first became interested in writing music. Even though it took me quite some time to get the ball rolling, I think that I pretty much wear my influences on my sleeve.
Alan: I started playing guitar because of Angus Young and Iron Maiden. I just wanted to be able to do what I saw them doing, it looked so fun and I loved the music. It doesn't come across in Abdullah at all but my main influence when learning was Iron Maiden. I was in a garage band with friends from high school and we used to get together to jam covers of all our favorite songs. It was about 50% Maiden and the rest was made up of Judas Priest, Scorpions, Black Sabbath and the like. There were two of us on guitar and we would split the solos just like Maiden or Priest did. It was a great way to build up playing skills. If I started to learn today I would probably be way behind in being able to solo. A lot of the nu-metal songs today are played with one finger in drop-d tuning and no solos. As far as influences on Abdullah I would have to say Black Sabbath, Type O Negative, Cathedral and a teeny bit of Hawkwind to be specific, but it's really a combination of everything I listen to. Way too many bands to list here.
19. Do you believe in god (or any religion)?
Jeff: I like to keep my spiritual beliefs personal, but I definitely do not buy into any types of organized religion. And for the record, WE ARE NOT SATANISTS! So whoever is sending us all of those born again xtian brochures, save your stamps!
Alan: No organized religions and no gods in the traditional sense. I am very interested in the big questions (why are we here? what does it all mean? etc...) but my thoughts on them are constantly evolving. I am totally against dogmatic thinking. Once you define your beliefs and say, "that's it, this is what I believe in and it's not going to change because that's how it is", then you are really short-changing yourself because you have stopped thinking. Every day I have new experiences and gain more information and I try to incorporate it into my overall view of the Universe. And to repeat Jeff, we are not satanists. Satanism is the yang to christianity's yin, can't have one without the other and I definitely don't believe in christianity.
20. Are you interested in arts, sport, literature or anything else besides music?
Jeff: I am very into fine arts and literature. I'm pretty sure I mentioned alot of my favorites earlier. I'm also a big fan of Italian horror movies such as Dario Argento's "Suspiria," Fulci's "The Beyond" and many, many more lesser known oddities from directors like Avati, Deodato, Martino, Bava, etc. They really knew how to walk that fine line between pure exploitation and high art! I'm also a huge fan of Harmony Korine. In my opinion, "Gummo" is one of the finest American films of all time.
Alan: I'm not interested in professional sports at all. I do like solitary exercise or games between friends like pool though. I read a lot, mostly non-fiction these days, books on magick, true-crime, biographies. For fiction my favorites are Joe Lansdale and Lovecraft. Jeff and I have similar tastes in movies. I love European horror also and "Gummo" had a big impact on both of us. Documentaries are a favorite too. The latest one I saw was "American Pimp", it was excellent.
21. Tell me your current and altime faves?
Jeff: I pretty much touched upon this earlier, but definitely Sabbath, Maiden, Jane's Addiction, EyeHateGod, Acid Bath, Neil Young, Sisters of Mercy... these are the bands that changed my life. Currently I enjoy all kinds of eclectic stuff. To name a few Covenant, Arcturus, EverEve, Anathema, Tiamat, Tummler, Solace, Slow Horse, Penance, Agents of Oblivion, and tons of Black Metal and Grindcore.
Alan: Alltime: Sabbath, Maiden, Motorhead, Hawkwind, Slayer, Ratt, Mercyful Fate, Goblin, Tool, Ozric Tentacles, Judas Priest. Lately but not just currently: Electric Wizard, Dokken (old), Suffocation, Church of Misery, Slow Horse, Acid Bath and Agents, Emperor, Rainbow, and all things doom.
22. What do you think about Saint Vitus, Candlemass, Trouble, Black Sabbath and Solitude Aeturnus?
Jeff: All legends. I can pinpoint the exact moment in my life that I first heard each of these bands that's how much of a mark they left on me. Saint Vitus was the first band I heard during my early headbanging days that didn't play 100mph and to me were still awesome! At that point in my life, that was quite a feat! I didn't discover the wonders of Solitude, Candlemass and Trouble until much later but the impact was definitely felt.
Alan: I like all those bands. My favorite Saint Vitus albums are the Wino material but it's all good, pure unadulterated doom. Candlemass, I've only heard the first three albums. I describe them as epic doom and the epitome of the opera singing style. I've got all of Trouble's albums and there isn't a bad one among them. My favorite is probably the self-titled with Rick Rubin producing. Black Sabbath, nothing really needs to be said here, the greatest metal/doom band of all time. Solitude Aeturnus is cool. I still haven't heard "Adagio". My favorite is "Through the Darkest Hour". They've got a Candlemass feel but more modern.
23. Your future plans?
Alan: We are trying to get the lineup filled out. Once we find the right people we'll be rehearsing and getting the live show together. We'll be working on new material for our next album and hopefully a totally doomy EP that we've been talking about for a while now.
24. Last words.
Alan: I think we've said it all.