Interview with a headbanger Part 2

Reunited Grammy Nominees to Visit Fargo

By Jordan D. Mertens
Contributing Writer

It is my personal pleasure to have this opportunity to share with you all a bit of information on, and from, a truly outstanding band. Spineshank formed back in 1996 and have played along side some of the biggest names in heavy music; Mudvayne, Danzig, Orgy and (Hed) P.E. just to name a few. They received a grammy nomination in the Best Metal Performance category in 2004 for their song “Smothered”, which was the first single off their third album, Self Destructive Pattern. Within a months time of that honor, however, Spineshank as a band, would brake up.

To the many thousands of fans they’d accumulated, it was, in a word, devastating. For Spineshank were one of those rare bands who seemed to have real staying power. Each new album was just that; new. Perhaps Spineshank’s most enduring quality was their ability to noticeably evolve the sound of their industrialized soul metal to the next plateau every time they ventured something new, while never abandoning the the unique core which set them apart from any comparable act.

And so it was for a band who were all but one great album from super stardom… Or so it would seem. In 2008, Spineshank officially reunited. They were immediately added to Disturbed’s Music As A Weapon tour, where they would share stages with such acts as Chimaira, Suicide Silence, Lacuna Coil and, of course, Disturbed. For the first time in four long years, Spineshank were finally on stage together again. I attended MAAW that year and I can tell you that theirs was one of the most volcanic performances of the entire evening. Simply being afforded the opportunity to see the group play, however exciting it was, would pale in comparison to news that came mid show; when Spineshank announced that they were working on a new record, the crowd lost all control. When they went on to play a never before heard song that was to be featured on it . . . Chaos.

Now, in 2011, that long awaited record has been given a title, Anger Denial Acceptance, and is on the cusp of being released. In promotion of it, Spineshank are headlining a brand new tour. They roll into Fargo October 6th, and will be performing at none other than the local hub for metal shows, the Nestor Tavern. In preparation for the event, I tracked down Spineshank’s drummer, Tommy Decker, for an interview.

I defy you to read this and resist attending.

HIGH PLAINS READER: Hello Tommy, thanks again for agreeing to answer some question for us here at High Plains Reader. I’ll jump right into it. We’ve been speaking, and obviously I’ve been a fan of Spineshank since the beginning; but, for anyone reading this who’s never heard Spineshank before (and there are at least a few, I assure you), what can you say on behalf of the band to, sort of, sell yourselves to a new audience?

Tommy Decker: We’re a real band. We make music because we love doing it. We put everything that we have into our live show. I think that Spineshank bring a lot of elements to our music. It’s very intense, heavy and energetic, with lots of dynamics. Lyrically, we talk about the things that go on in our heads. It’s stuff that people can relate to.

HPR: You went on quite the hiatus. It’s been 8 years since the release of your last album, Self-Destructive Pattern, what did you do to keep busy during that time? And what, since then, has changed?

TD: We continued writing music. Mike (Sarkisyan) and I started a production company and started producing and recording bands. We just finished a record for a great band called All Hail the Yeti. They will be touring with us later this year. Great band. Check ‘em out.

Whats changed? We’ve gotten older and a little smarter. We’ve come to understand how and why Spineshank works with these 4 members. We’re comfortable with who we are more than ever!

HPR: The new album is called Anger Denial Acceptance and comes out later this year. What can you tell us about the writing process for this album?

TD: What can I say about the writing process?? Ouch! It hurt. Every note, drumbeat, and lyric comes from a real place. There were a lot of dark times that went into this record. It basically deals with loss. People leave, people die and it has a big effect sometimes. The title comes from the stages grieving. We just re-arranged them a bit. Each stage has its own song on the record and the title track kind of ties them all together.

HPR: When are fans finally going to get to hear it?

TD: We’re waiting for the right situation to get this record out. Things have changed a lot since we put out SDP. We want to get it out, but we want to do it right. This record means too much to us to let it slip between the cracks. We’re not a band that goes out and writes 12 songs in a month. Every song is super personal and meaningful to us, so we’re gonna take our time and make sure everything is right. It will be soon though!

HPR: Social networking sites such as Facebook have become more or less a homepage for most people over the last few years and have given fans a whole new way to keep track of and interact with thier favorite bands. This wasn’t so much the case back in 2004, before Spineshank split up. Upon reuniting, has the internet played a major role in getting back in touch with fans and/or hyping the new album?

TD: Oh yeah, Facebook and the internet in general have been awesome for us. We’re the kind of guys that like to talk to our fans. If you like the band enough to buy cd’s and t-shirts and come to our shows, we probably have a lot in common. If I would’ve ever had the chance to talk to someone in Motley Crue or Guns N Roses when I was a kid, it would’ve been a dream come true. I talk to people on facebook everyday. Most of them are really cool, and entertain the hell out of me. A lot of them know more about the band than I do! It’s cool to have a way to talk to the people that appreciate what we do.

HPR: On Spineshanks facebook page, you posted a video for The Beatles’ “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” with the tag line “hint hint…”. A song which you covered on your freshman album, Strictly Diesel. Is it safe for fans to get their hopes up?

TD: Yeah, they can get their hopes up! The set list is looking and feeling pretty good. It’s pretty intense and it hurts to play! We have a spot in the set where we will be taking requests from the crowd. This is our 4th record, so we have a lot of songs to choose from now. Plus cover songs that we like to play. As far as “While my guitar gently weeps” goes….... You’ll have to wait and see.

HPR: What is the bands diet like while touring?

TD: Our diet? Who knows? Beer and cup o noodles? That is totally dependent on what is near the venues we play. Eating becomes kind of a hassle on the road. Venues like to take the easy way out and get you pizzas all the time. Pizza and truck stop corn dogs!

HPR: Spineshank are headlining this tour. That’s quite an achievement. After being out of the limelight for such a long time, what do you expect crowd reactions to be like?

TD: Our fans have been very loyal and awesome to us. We’ve been lucky enough to have some great crowds. Some where I have been scared for their safety. When we first got back together and did Music As A Weapon, it was like we never left. People were singing every word. Pretty cool after all those years away.

HPR: When Spineshank first formed, the band cited Fear Factory as a major influence. What are you listening to now-a-days?

TD: You’d be surprised at what we listen to nowadays. Rob (Garcia)‘s iPod doesn’t have anything newer than 1976. It’s all Beach Boys and Stevie Wonder. Jonny (Santos) is a big Social D fan. I listen to a lot of Elliot Smith. Mike listens to a lot of classical music. Of course we still love Machine Head and Deftones and Dillinger Escape Plan.

HPR: What does the future hold for Spineshank?

TD: Who knows what the future holds? We never expected any of this to come our way. We were just 4 dummies who played music together, worked hard and had some good luck. We’re gonna do the same thing we always do. We put everything we have into our music, love us or hate us, it’s who we are. I really want people to hear this new record and hopefully fall in love with it.

HPR: Well, Tommy, this was truly a pleasure. I can’t thank you enough; I know you’re a busy guy. Is there anything else you’d like to say before we wrap this up?

TD: Thanks for talking to me. Come see us on tour. Visit our facebook page and read the stupidities that we post.

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