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| Interview by Burt Wolf with lead vocalist Prophet & drummer Dark Soul of ST. MADNESS. Interview done August 27, 2004. |
| I KNOW YOU GUYS HAVE BEEN AROUND FOR AWHILE IN THE MUSIC SCENE, BUT COULD YOU GIVE A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE BAND? ANY PREVIOUS BANDS YOU WERE IN BEFORE? AND WHY DID YOU CHOOSE CROWN OF THORNS ORIGINALLY FOR THE BAND NAME & WHY WAS ST. MADNESS CHOSEN NEXT? Prophet: ST. MADNESS was originally called CROWN OF THORNS. We formed in 1993. In 1994, we put out our first CD "LONELINESS IS BLACK". in 1995, we decided to start wearing face paint on stage. As you know, at that time (1995), Metal music wasn't doing so well here. In the U.S., as Alternative/Industrial music, Hip-Hop & Techno was the "in" thing, and Metal wasn't very popular. The whole thing pissed me off, so the more people wanted to hear alterna-crap, the heavier & more theatrical we got. In 1997, we released "THE SPIRITUAL VISIONS OF ST. MADNESS". We also found out that year that a Christian Rock band in New Jersey (USA) had already trade marked the name CROWN OF THORNS back in 1991. Since we knew we were going to have to change the name of the band, we wanted to do it the best & most simple way. I suggested for us to go with ST. MADNESS, which was already in the title of our release at the time. We had some other names on the table, and almost called the band 667, but ST. MADNESS was the right name for us. We made sure to own the trademark for our name this time! In 1999, we reissued "THE SPIRITUAL VISIONS OF ST. MADNESS" album under the new name ST. MADNESS and shorted the title to just "SPIRITUAL VISIONS. We have also released "GOD BLESS AMERICA" (1998), "SCARE THE WORLD" (2000) and the respective "WE MAKE EVIL FUN!" (2003). |
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| WHO OR WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR INFLUENCES IN MUSIC & LIFE IN GENERAL? Prophet: Musically, SLAYER, PINK FLOYD, PANTERA, BLACK SABBATH, JUDAS PRIEST, LED ZEPPLIN, W.A.S.P., MOTORHEAD, etc. In life, I respect & have love for anyone who tries to make this world a better place. When ST. MADNESS plays concerts with other bands, we try to treat all of them with respect. We know they are out there working hard just like we are. ST. MADNESS HAS A DIFFERENT BLEND OF THRASH, POWER, DEATH & BLACK METAL INFLUENCES. HOW WOULD YOU BEST DESCRIBE YOUR STYLE & SOUND? Prophet: We are "CARNIMETAL" or theatrical, shock Metal. We play & write all different kinds of Metal, and actually write lots of different types of music as well. If we like something enough, we will put it on a record, but Metal will ALWAYS be the core of |
| ST. MADNESS! I KNOW YOU GUYS HAVE A LOT OF RELEASES OUT, BUT COULD YOU GIVE A LITTLE INFORMATION ON EACH & THEIR AVAILABILITY? Prophet: "LONELINESS IS BALCK" (1994), "SPIRTUAL VISIONS" (1997), "SCARE THE WORLD" (200) & "WE MAKE EVIL FUN!" (2003). You can order all of our albums directly through www.STMADNESS.com, through our distributor at www.THEORCHARD.com & at many retail & online stores, including digital download points like Napster & ITunes. SOME OF YOUR RELEASES ARE OUT ON NASTY PRICK RECORDS. IS THIS YOUR OWN LABEL? IF SO, ARE THERE ANY OTHER BANDS ON THIS LABEL? IF NOT, HOW DID YOU GET HOOKED UP WITH THEM? Prophet: NASTY PRICK RECORDS is our own label. Over the years, there have been a number of bands that we worked with as far as promotion & occasional producing, but the only official band on NASTY PRICK RECORDS is ST. MADNESS. Through the years, there have been a number of sponsors & or investors that have contributed financially to the label. We're a group of people that likes doing things for ourselves, plus retaining creative control of our music. Hard work is half the fun! |
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| HAS THERE BEEN ANY OTHER LABEL INTERESTS IN ST. MADNESS? Prophet: Yes, but nothing has been worked out with any other label. It's funny, because some of the labels aren't willing to sign us because of the amount of "Funny Stuff" in our music & show. It's true that we have always had a bit of twisted humor but, believe me when I say that ST. MADNESS is very heavy musically & though we have a shit-load of fun, our music will also rip your head off! We are contacting & have been contacted by some labels, but we haven't worked out a deal with anyone yet. HOW DO YOU FEEL THE BAND HAS PROGRESSED SINCE THE CROWN OF THORNS DAYS TO THE ST. MADNESS DAYS NOW? Prophet: I love the progression that we made. There is no other |
| band that I would rather sing for! If the best thing I ever do musically is to be the lead singer for ST. MADNESS, then when I leave this world I will die happy! I know that I have got to say what i wanted to say with the music of ST. MADNESS. Our music continually changes & grows, and I love it all! YOUR NEWEST RELEASE: "WE MAKE EVIL FUN" HAS BEEN OUT FOR A LITTLE WHILE NOW. HOW HAS THE RESPONSE TO IT BEEN SO FAR? Prophet: "WE MAKE EVIL FUN" has been, and continues to be reviewed all over the world, and I would say that 90% of them have been favorable. A lot of people are digging "WE MAKE EVIL FUN". Our most popular record to date has been "GOD BLESS AMERICA" 1998, but "WE MAKE EVIL FUN" is pretty close behind it & still picking up speed. I KNOW YOU GUYS ARE A SERIOUS BAND THAT LIKES TO HAVE A LOT OF FUN (OBVIOUSLY FROM YOUR ALBUM TITLE). SO WHAT ARE SOME OF THE LYRICAL CONTENTS OF YOUR SONGS? Prophet: I am inspired by so many different things, so sometimes I just write about how much I like to fuck! (Sexual Abuse); other times I write about serious subjects (God Bless America); and sometimes about some guy who's old lady cheats on him with his friend, so the guy gets his gun & kills them both! (Here Comes The Judge). The entire album "SCARE THE WORLD" is lyrically a warning to the world about bad things that are happening now, and will come to pass in the future. We have a brand new song that will be on our next album, "VAMPIRES IN THE CHURCH" called (Missing Girl's Body Found) which is about the abduction & murder of an 11 year old girl in Florida (USA) last Feb 2004 named Carley. The abduction was filmed on a security camera video tape ata car wash she was walking by on her way home. The song lyrically is about how I hope that guy who killed her gets executed or, if gets life in prison then I hope that the inmates will make his every day Hell On Earth! He is a sick fuck who deserves to pay for what he did! |
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| DO YOU FEEL MOST PEOPLE DON'T TAKE YOUR MUSIC SERIOUSLY BECAUSE OF SOME OF YOUR SONGS & STAGE SHOW? Prophet: Some of the dark or Black Metal people have actually got mad at us for having humor in our music. It's like if we have fun we're not real Metal. I laugh all that shit off because anyone who has ever been to a ST. MADNESS concert knows that we can hang with the best of 'em musically. We aren't particually worried about being "cool" or "in". ST. MADNESS plays the music we want to pay! If anyone questions how serious we are, take another listen to our lyrics & then go see a ST. MADNESS show! We have fun because we know our balls are big! (haha). I think there is room in Metal music for everyone. If we're not serious enough for some people, there are plenty of bands out there to suit every taste. |
| SPEAKING OF YOUR STAGE SHOW, I'VE SEEN YOUR LIVE DVD'S & IT SEEMS TO GET A BIT CRAZY ON STAGE. CAN YOU EXPALIN A LITTLE BIT OF WHAT A ST. MADNESS SHOW IS ALL ABOUT? Prophet: ST. MADNESS shows are about mosh pits, craziness & having a big party! We are in this band to have a great time! We like the music heavy, and enjoy doing all kinds of crazy shit on stage. Over the years, we have had a 7ft tall Grim Reaper, Satan, Jesus Clone, strippers, monks & crazies in straight jackets, Bill & Hillary Clinton, Vampire girls, angels, gang bangers, Evil Elvis, etc. WHAT IS SOME OF THE CRAZIER STUFF YOU'VE SEEN AT ONE OF YOUR SHOWS, EITHER ON STAGE OR FROM THE AUDIENCE? Prophet: Lots of women flashing their tits. We've had girls throw their panties on stage, people (male & female) rolling around on stage simulating sex, B.J. Clinton stripping down to a thong, flipping off the pit & then diving in it! Lots & lots of partying. When we were headed froma show in Springfield, Missouri to play in the 1999 Milwaukee Metalfest, the septic tank on the bus backed up into the shower. When we got there (and stopped) the stench was so bad that it made everyones eyes burn & it was so disgusting we couldn't let any of the press or fans come on the bus! Our drummer, Dark Soul, had stored his kit in the shower between shows, and...they were floating in 6 inches of shit! The kicker is, it wasn't even our shit! We bought a used bus, and hadn't had the septic tank pumped out yet, so it was other peoples poo!!! I can't even tell you what Dark Soul's face looked like when he saw his drums. We laugh about it now, but it was a stinky situation! At the same Metalfest, I got to meet the MISFITS and they let me use their shower 'cause ours was filled with crap! After our show, I ran to a room backstage & opened the door, and sitting in the room were the MISFITS (they had just finished their show on a different stage). So, I come running into their room, covered in blood & face paint & I look at them, and THEY'RE covered in blood & face paint...the look on their faces was pretty funny. I told them a security gaurd told me I could use the shower & they were like "Sure, go for it", so I go in and open up the shower and that's covered in blood too! I turned and said, "Bloody shower, huh?" and we all laughed. I love the MISFITS, so I took the fastest shower of my life & got dressed wet! I didn't want them to have to wait any longer than necessary. The cool thing was, when I showed them our CD, they already had a copy of it on their bus! |
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| SINCE YOUR LIVE SHOWS ARE NOT YOUR TYPICAL LIVE SHOWS, HAVE YOU EVER RUN INTO PROBLEMS WITH CLUB OWNERS? Prophet: Yes, sometimes a lot of people bring cans of Silly String & squirt everything in sight! That shit sticks to everything when it dries. In the early days, when we first started using blood in the show, people thought we were satanic. There were some horses in the area that had been killed & bled out, and a number of people (including club owners) asked us if we had done it! All in all, we're pretty careful & respect the venues we play, but sometimes it gets totally out of hand. In 1998, we played a club called The Library in Phoenix, Arizona. There was a double brass rail that wrapped around the entire front of the stage and, by the end of the show, the whole railing had been ripped right out of the floor by the crowd! I watched a big piece of it body surf by while I was in the middle of a song! The place |
| was absoulutely packed, with about twice as many people as they expected, and believe it or not, the owner was so fuckin' happy with the turnout & how drunk everyone got that he didn't even get mad about his club getting destroyed! WHAT'S THE BEST & WORST THING ABOUT BEING IN A BAND? Prophet: The best thing about being in a band, for me, is song writing & playing live. I love playing shows, I love traveling with the band. Making records is its own world - the studio is a place where you lose track of time. I really enjoy recording. The worst thing for me is that we all have to grow old, until one day we can't play any more. I would create music forever if it was possible. Dark Soul: One of the best things about being in the band playing & recording music I love, and that I helped create. Playing live shows, playing to an audience that appreciates what we do. The worst, there really isn't a worst, for me at the moment except not being able to tour right now. (And, having my drums flaot around in shit is a pretty big "worst" too!) WHO DO YOU FEEL ARE SOME OF THE BETTER BANDS, LABELS, ZINES FROM ARIZONA? Prophet: Band wise, I like INFUSION, FLOTSAM & JETSAM, a great band that are friends of ours called 6 OF 9. OPIATE FOR THE MASSES is cool. As far as labels, METAL BLADE had offices here at one time, but I'm not sure if it still is. It's kind of sad, because a few years ago there were a lot of great zines in Arizona, like BERZERKER MAGAZINE & MUSIC VOICE, WHERE IT'S HOT, but so many of the really good ones are gone now! WHAT'S ONE THING PEOPLE WOULD BE SURPRISED TO KNOW ABOUT YOU? Prophet: I was approached at one of our shows in 1997 by John Baxter, Rob Halford's manager who told me he was trying to find a vocalist. I asked him for who, and he said - BLACK SABBATH. I knew that Rob Halford had worked briefly with BLACK SABBATH. It hadn't worked out, and John told me they'd been auditioning vocalists for about six months, and hated them all. He said the way I sing & performed reminded him a lot of Ozzy, so while we sat there in The mason jar night club, John called Rob in L.A. & told him he'd found a guy that SABBATH should look at. John gave me his card & told me he really thought SABBATH would like me and it would put him in good with the band if he helped them find the right guy. He said to give him a call in a couple of days & he'd know more about the audition. Two days later, I called him & he said, "You're not going to believe this...Ozzy rejoined BLACK SABBATH, and they're planning a world tour!" I almost fell over! BLACK SABBATH remains one of my all time favorite bands, so it was pretty bitter sweet because I had to miss auditioning for one of the greatest Metal bands ever. I was disappointed, and at the same time I was ecstatic that Ozzy had rejoined! Long live The Beast That Is The PRIEST & BLACK Fuckin' SABBATH!!! Dark Soul: I think taht people would be surprised to know that, although I play in a theatrical, shock Metal, wild band, I am really a very quiet person...kinda. |
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| WHAT DO THE MEMBERS OF ST. MADNESS DO WHEN NOT DOING ANY WORK FOR THE BAND? Prophet: I didn't know they did ANYTHING besides make music!!! Actually, we're all pretty regular people that have families & lives away from the band. Speaking for myself, I'm a single father of 2 sons. I love being a dad, it's the only thing I've ever done that truly matters. I am also writing a vampire novel. I've been working on it for a number of years now. ARE YOU INTO ANY OTHER STYLES OF MUSIC BESIDES WHAT YOU PLAY? WHO ARE SOME OF THE BANDS YOU'VE BEEN CURRENTLY LISTENING TO? Prophet: I love all kinds of music, everything from Louis Armstrong to OPETH. I listen to Classical & movie score music when I work on my novel. Southern Rock/Metal is one of my favorite kinds of |
| music, but I also enjoy many kinds of Rap, Hip Hop. Opera scores are very cool. I refuse to be locked up in some small musical box. I believe it's all art, and I can learn something from all of it. Lately, I've been listening to DEVIL DRIVER, DAMAGE PLAN, SUPER JOINT RITUAL, OPETH & SLAYER. Dark Soul: I listen to all different kinds of music like right now I'm listening to everything from THE CURE, to FILTER, THE DAMNED & I'm a huge fan of Frank Zappa. I could go on and on, but that's pretty much it for right now. WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR FAVORITE MOVIES OR TV SHOWS? Prophet: BRAM STOKERS DRACULA (1992) is my favorite vampire flick. I fucking love the movie FALLING DOWN with Michael Douglas. Mel Gibson's THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST, all NAKED GUN movies, both AIRPLANE movies, FREDDY VS.JASON. As far as TV goes SOUTH PARK, WWE WRESTLING & watching the news. Dark Soul: Just about any horror movie, the ALIENS movies & my new favorite MXC (Most Extreme Elimination Chanllenge) from Japan. WHAT CAN WE EXPECT TO SEE NEXT FROM ST. MADNESS? Prophet: We are working on an entirely new stage show, as well as a new album titled "VAMPIRES IN THE CHURCH". We have many surprises in the near future. I am not at liberty to reveal any of it until "WE MAKE EVIL FUN!" has finished it's release, but let me say this - ST. MADNESS is heavier than ever, and the material is crushing! I meant what I said in the liner notes on "WE MAKE EVIL FUN!" when I promised..."you ain't seen nothing yet!" Let your mind run with the title..."VAMPIRES IN THE CHURCH". WHAT WERE YOU DOING BEFORE ANSWERING THIS INTERVIEW? WHAT WILL YOU DO ONCE IT'S DONE? Prophet: Before doing this interview, I did another interview for ULTRA ROCK out of France. Now, I'm finished & on my way to rehearsal. Dark Soul: Drinking coffee, sitting on the patio smoking a cigarette & enjoying the beautiful weather here in Arizona, and wishing I was some place else on tour! Now that I've reached the end, we're leaving to check out a studio we're doing some tracking at later this week. WE'VE REACHED THE END & I'M OUT OF QUESTIONS. FEEL FREE TO ADD ANYTHING YOU'D LIKE TO CLOSE OUT! THANKS A LOT FOR DOING THE INTERVIEW!!! Prophet: Let me first say thank you Burt for asking us to do this interview. It has been our pleasure sharing about ST. MADNESS with your readers & the people who love aggressive music! Smoke lots of green!!! Dark Soul: Yeah, I want to thank Burt & BEOWOLF PRODUCTIONS for allowing us to do this interview & for their interest in ST. MADNESS, because we appreciate it! BLESSED ARE THOSE WHO LOVE METAL, FOR THEY SHALL CONQUER THE EARTH!!! (Prophet/ST. MADNESS) |
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| www.STMADNESS.com PHOTOS & GRAPHICS COURTESY OF ST. MADNESS INTERVIEWS MAIN PAGE |