Post by Acekicken on Aug 15, 2008 22:01:22 GMT -5
Interview with "Metal" Mike Chlasciak
Posted by Craig Wettner at 8/12/2008 2:42 PM and is filed under Mike Chlasciak,Sebastian Bach
I had just graduated high school when Halford's Resurrection came out. I remember playing it for my religion teacher Ms. O'mera. She immediately called home and reported to my parents that listening to the album was probably the reason I "acted out in school." How could you not want to mosh when listening to the awesome guitar work of Mike Chlasciak and Patrick Lachman?
Continuing with our interviews with Sebastian Bach's band, today we are featuring "Metal" Mike Chlasciak. It is hard to find a more influential guitarist in metal, but you don't have to look further than the man who solidified Rob Halford's legacy as the Metal God. Mike's work ethic and insane talent has helped him become one of the most respected heavy metal guitarists of our time. It also doesn't help that he is an extremely nice guy. Our interview with Metal Mike is below:
BnR: You have a couple of writing credits on Angel Down, how does Metal Mike write a song? Do you find it better to sit down at a desk and write it, maybe the shower, the toilet?
Mike: No I don't get ideas in remote places. I get title ideas in weird places. It is usually late at night and I will just have an idea for a title. It could be anywhere for the title. But for the song, I would say that about 75% of the songs I wrote are actually me saying "Ok I am going to go and write a song now." I actually go downstairs, plug in, and play until I find something that I like. The other percentage is maybe us doing a soundcheck, or me messing with a guitar for no particular reason. I tend to like those riffs a lot because they are really spontaneous. But I can use a drum machine beat and always come up with a riff. That is one thing I have always been able to do. I have never searched far for a good guitar riff. I used to catalog them, like 'thats a good one.' Then I realized that I can write so many that I don't even need to listen to the cd's of riffs because I am constantly pumping them out. As a writer, it's great.
BnR: I am a writer and I don't know how many writers can sit down and say "I am going to write right now" and have anything that comes out. You are really lucky.
Mike: Yea, actually I am really lucky because there is this left side of the brain spontaneous thing going on, but at the same time I can sit there and say I am going to do it. Many times I have to motivate myself and say "I am going to practice now." I am always trying to be more organized in my life because if I wasn't, I would be all over the place. I really try to keep things organized.
BnR: So how is it collaborating with Sebastian? Do you find writing material with him easy?
Mike: No, but that doesn't necessarily mean I don't like doing it. But it's not an easy process. The way I am coming at it, as a guitar player, I am used to writing a song, or at least a big chunk of it, then presenting it to a singer saying "Here's your song. Don't mess with it. Don't even sing over it." It has worked with me with Rob [Halford] and other people I have wrote with. Sebastian is an extremely hands on, in every aspect of every note and every riff. He thinks of a million things at the same time, so it is difficult to get from Point A to Point B when you are in the moment. But when you look back, a little bit later, you say "well I guess he was right." With Sebastian it is more writing on the spot. I wouldn't write a whole song from Point A to Point B and say "here is your song, sing on it." But that's cool too because I can also see the good in that to work outside of the box I am used to. But I don't want my answer to be a negative thing because it is absolutely not. It is just a different way of working for me, which I found different than what I am used to. So it is a little challenging, but I think it's good. It works out like that.
BnR: We just saw Rob fronting Judas Priest at the Metal Masters and were wondering, how is working with Rob? Is it very different than working with Sebastian?
Mike: In many ways it is a lot different. Sebastian's career is coming into a place that is more structured, where there is a team around Sebastian that helps him get from Point A to Point B to Point C to Point D. But I worked with Rob, all that team was in place. So it was a lot easier, you know. I think Rob is one of the most professional musicians I have ever played with. There is a reason he is known as the Metal God. He really is. Rob is a fair person. A good business person that treats people very fair.
BnR: Well he has you to thank somewhat. After he left Judas Priest, he kind of dropped off the face of the Earth. Then you helped him get back with Halford.
Mike: Yea we did some good tours and some nice studio records and a live record. So in some ways, it's kind of doing the same thing again. Sebastian has a great band with him. We are all trying to make it happen the best we can.
BnR: You have a band called Painmuseum. What are the current plans for that? It is obviously on hiatus while you are touring with Sebastian.
Mike: Well see, that is the difficult part. With Painmuseum, I wanted to make a good and honest heavy metal record. And I did that. Then I toured with Testament. Then Sebastian called me. I have found you really can't do anything well if you do it in short bursts of time. I can't go with my band and do a two week tour on the East Coast because, in reality, it doesn't mean anything. It doesn't lead anywhere. So when I put together a plan, it must be something that I fully concentrate on heavily. Otherwise it will just be a side project for fun. I have a whole other album written in the demo stages. I just need to really record it properly. But I don't want to do that unless I am ready to commit to that project. But I am having a good time playing guitar with Sebastian. What started as, do a couple of shows, go to Europe, we have been playing a lot since 2005. He's got these great tours with GnR [Guns N' Roses] and now Poison. We happen to play these big places and everyone is having a good time. So I am here, rocking. The bottom line is, what did I get into music for? To have fun, play guitar, those two are the most...
BnR: And the women.
Mike: And the women, which comes in the fun department. It is a sub-category of fun. But as long as I am having fun playing guitar and I am living what I wanted to do. There's a little bit of a difference when you do your own thing vs when you are someone's guitar player. But in the end, I had a good time playing guitar, made some friends, I am happy.
BnR: You've toured with a lot of artists. Who is your favorite? Was it Guns N' Roses?
Mike: Well that's a loaded question. I had a great time with Guns N' Roses. I think it is a tour that none of us will ever forget. It was nothing like I have done in my entire life. I slept the least on that tour. I don't know how we did that. I would go to the hotel and fall asleep at like 9 AM. Then we would have the first show to do at like 7:30-8:00 PM. I would be like, "I don't know how I am going to do it." But we did it. I became friends with Axl and just went through the whole experience. It is a different world. I came from a speed metal and thrash type world, heavy metal. There is a particular feeling with that. There is a whole other feeling when you have Axl Rose, Sebastian Bach to some extent, or Bret Michaels. There is a whole other world that opens up. And I must admit, I am quite enjoying myself. I can always make an angry, speed metal record when I am 50 man.
BnR: What artist or producer has been the most demanding on you? Someone who has pushed your ability further?
Mike: I would say Roy Z. Myself and Roy have developed a really close friendship through that work. When we started working with Halford on Resurrection, I had done records, but done them by myself. So you are learning, but you are not really learning under anyone else's help or guidance. So I learned a lot playing with Roy. And Roy went on to produce Bruce Dickinson's records and Down's records. So he had a lot of experience. So Roy Z.
BnR: What guitarists have influenced you when you were younger?
Mike: Oz Fox [Stryper] Just kidding. Though the Stryper album "Black and White Attack" [Mike meant Yellow and Black Attack"] was pretty cool.
BnR: Really? Stryper?
Mike: Yea, Black and White Attack, the lyrics "Loud and Clear / Earrings dangling from the ears" [laughs] When I read the lyrics, I was like "Ok, I am not into Stryper anymore." I just threw a name out there. I would say the two most influential guitarists are Yngwie Malmsteen and Steve Vai. That's the world I came out of. The funny thing is for me, is that it is so obvious Yngwie and Steve Vai. I mean who else is there when I grew up playing guitar. I am realizing that not everyone thinks the same way. I am like, "Yngwie Malmsteen and Steve Vai right?" and other people are like "No." Like people list to me the guy from Limp Bizkit. So I am thinking that Steve Vai's biggest year was 1988-1992, commercially. Damn, that was like 16-20 years ago. So I am thinking not everyone knows. When I was growing up, Steve was on the cover of every magazine and so was Yngwie. They were the guitar gods. So it's weird. When I first started playing guitar, people would ask, "Who are you into?" I would say "Yngwie Malmsteen and Steve Vai." They would say "Oh the new guy. I am more into Gary Moore, Aldo Nova." I think Steve Vai is the new Aldo Nova. But those two guys. There are others, but I think those are the main ones.
BnR: Are there any current guitarists that you think have a chance at being great?
Mike: I am sure there are a lot of awesome guitarists, but I don't know. I am still waiting to discover a guitar player that I am going to go "Fuck!"
BnR: I think we all are.
Mike: Come on seriously, you listen to Yngwie play it is very obvious that he is an incredible guitar player. Like him or not, you can't deny that he isn't fantastic. You look at Steve Vai play and you go "What the fuck?! How does somebody play a guitar like that." It's not just music. So I am waiting to find someone who combines all these into one thing. At the same time, you have to have the blessing of commercial success so people know. But that's hard, you know. It's hard to play guitar in your basement and no one knows. The YouTube Guitar Hero. I saw this guy who was doing with hand farts.
BnR: I am going to write that down and get that on the site: click here for Iron Maiden's The Trooper with Hand Farts.
Mike: Yes, the Iron Maiden Turkey Farter.
BnR: Are there any bands that you are currently listening to?
Mike: Oh fuck, I am realizing that I am a throwback. I swear to God. It's just weird. I am really finding that a lot of these albums are sounding the same. A lot of these covers of these metal bands have the same look. It is very abstract with parts put together. I am waiting for great bands. I have talked with other people about it. I think people are still waiting for that new Maiden, that new Priest. I don't know if it is us trying to "relive" or carry the tradition with when we fell in love with metal. Or do other people perceive other bands as already being that. I don't know.
BnR: I think it is so tough for commercial success that you have bands so then you have to water it down for the everyman. Then you have your Nickelback's out there who are essentially rehashing their first record.
Mike: I still love the Arch Enemy album Wages of Sin. I thought that was a great record. I love some of Dimmu Borgir. Cool, cool bands like that. There is a band from France called The Amenta. They have a record called The Occasus it is electronic death metal. It is really, really good. They have some crazy beats and then they go into the guitar which sounds like piranha. It is really good, but it is not techno music. There is also a band from France called Sybreed. I have discovered about ten (10) bands in the last few years that I like. But I will go to my iPod and listen to Malice, EZO, Loudness, some Whitesnake. Of course Testament, they are one of my favorite bands of all time. Megadeth's Peace Sells, Metallica's Ride the Lighting, Overkill Taking Over. I have learned that when you fall in love with music, it is what draws you to other things. But you will always go back to that initial core. It is that first hot girlfriend you had.
Thanks Mike for talking with us. Check out Metal Mike's website for all the latest happenings with Mike. We encourage you to buy the two Painmuseum records, three solo records, and the awesome guitar books he has.
Ridiculous Riffs for the Terrifying Guitarist
Monster Coordination - Guitar Boot Camp
Listen to the words of Metal Mike in his own voice. Play the podcast below:
blogsnroses.com/2008/08/12/interview-with-metal-mike-chlasciak.aspx
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Hey this Rocks check it out......
I honestly hope Mike & Baz stick together for along time,but the whole Halford Gig seems to come up more often than not. For years it has been said the will record in 2009,I will buy it but as a huge Bach fan I just want more Bach CD's .....
I think Mike & Johnny are a great team. Mike & Pat was great with Halford & yes Mike & Roy are great to.
I think Mike & Johnny IMO are the first real team Baz has ever had in his solo band.
He has had some great players like Paul Crook & Ralph but these 2 are a team....
I have seen them live now 3 times & I hope to see many more with Baz as the singer(Duh lol)
.I have Stomp 442 (Anthrax) & Bat out of hell 3 (Meatloaf).