Hardcore Guitar Online

Ernie Parada interview...

2009-08-09T17:28:00.000-07:00

Has music always come naturally for you or was it something you had to sit and practice the mechanics of playing over and over again until it clicked?
In the early days it came easy. I remember the first time I tried to play the guitar, I realized that I could follow along with "Blitzkrieg Bop" easily. The only thing I didn't know was how to tune the guitar. I knew that there was a trick to it, something like, the 5th fret on each string should match the next string open, except for one of them down there in the skinny strings, or something like that. It took me a while to figure that one out. But to this day, I still cant play a "lead" the way that guy in Sam Ash plays one. You know, the blinding speed flying up and down the neck. I cant move my fingers around that fast even without a guitar in my hand. It amazes me how they do that. Armand from Sick Of It All (who is the drummer by the way) can do that sort of stuff real well. I wish I could.

Over the years you have played in a lot of bands. Can you give us a run down of your earliest musical endeavors to the latest project you are working on?
First thing I ever did live on stage was Gilligan’s Revenge. I was the drummer in this band, but I was writing most of the material on the guitar. My first gig ever was at A7, which was on the corner of Avenue A and 7th street, and it was with Kraut and a band called Khmer Rouge on November 12, 1982. That’s one of the only dates I remember. In its earliest configuration Gilligan’s Revenge included Andy Gortler, later from the Devil Dogs, on guitar and Eddie Sutton, later from Leeway, on vocals. Later we replaced most members, most notably Anthony Comunale, later from Killing Time, on vocals and changed the name of the band to Token Entry. After our first US tour we replaced Anthony with Tim Chunks and that’s the Token Entry most people remember. Two members quit the band in the middle of a US tour for the album "Jaybird" and the band was over. I played drums in Krakdown for a short while, and joined a band called In Your Face from Long Island. This is where I began to take the guitar more seriously. During this time, I went back and did Token Entry with Tim and two friends from his neighborhood. The only good thing that came out of that was the friendship that I was able to start up with the Bad Brains, specifically Dr. Know and Phil Burnett, their long time engineer. The morning that we were scheduled to leave for a European tour happened to be the same day that George Bush senior attacked Kuwait in "Operation Desert Storm." The two new guys forced Token Entry to break up and cancel an entire tour because they refused to get on the airplane. I then decided to switch to guitar and started Black Train Jack. BTJ exploded from the get-go. We released the first record and didn’t tour a single day. 11 months later, I believe, we released the second record and took off on tour. After a year of touring and having kids come up to the stage telling me that they can't find our CD anywhere, and being told by our label that we can't sell them at gigs, I decided that it wasn't worth it to tour like crazy to support a CD that wasn’t available to be supported. Evidently this wasn’t a good decision for some people and needless to say it didn’t go over too well. After that I hooked up with Vinny and Jason from Warzone and started Grey Area. After that, I moved to The Arsons with Marc from In Your Face, and now I’m doing a band called Higher Giant with Al from The Arsons, Jason from Grey Area/Warzone, and Dave Wags from Kid Dynamite.

It is very interesting that you have moved around from instrument to instrument through the years. Are you a self taught musician or have you taken music lessons over the years?
For the most part I figured out how to play on my own. A few years back, for a little while, I got the crazy notion to learn Jazz guitar, and I took 3 lessons before I figured out that maybe it wasn’t my thing. I also took a lesson at the Drummers Collective once because Doctor Know and Mackie made it sound so awesome.

Out of all the instruments you have played, which was the hardest for you to pick up and be proficient at?
Keyboards. I don’t know why, but that is the hardest thing for me.

What is your music writing process like? Do you write out whole albums worth of material beforehand or do you prefer getting a bunch of friends together to jam and see what happens?
Recently it has been very different than it was in the past. What I do now is put together the entire song in Garage Band: drums, guitar, bass and a vocal line. I then send that file to the rest of the band so when we get together, everyone pretty much knows the song. It saves a lot of time and frustration.

Every guitar player wants to write that legendary riff, like Black Sabbath or Hot For Teacher or what have you. Can you give us a little detail about some of your riffs through the years that defined your previous bands?
Wow, good question! Hmmm. I think one is probably "Someday" on the first Black Train Jack album. Also "The Edge" on the first Token Entry album. The intro riff is really just the vocal melody played as an intro. That was done because when the song was first written, Tim couldn't remember the vocal melody, so we made an intro out of it so that he would know how it went when the vocals started. Then it just stuck. "Vinny Number 2" on the first Grey Area album is probably my favorite song I've ever recorded till then. Now I love new Higher Giant stuff.

When did you decide you wanted to start singing in bands instead of just playing guitar? Is that something you just picked up one day and realized you could do it or has that always been in your musical repertoire?
The guys in Token Entry always wanted me to do more singing, but I always thought it was kinda corny for a drummer to do too much singing. One day when we recorded the first Black Train Jack album, Rob wasn't around, so for a goof I sang “Leap Frog.” Everybody loved it so we left it. Soon after, that became one of our most popular songs. From that point on, I was a singer, dammit.

Back when you were growing up it was a lot harder to discover punk and hardcore bands. What was your musical journey like that lead you to finding out about punk and hardcore?
Ha. This is probably the biggest difference from then to today. Back when I was a kid, there were very few punk/hardcore bands in existence. No one knew what the hell it was. In New York there was Kraut, the Bad Brains, Reagan Youth, the Nihilistics and a few others. That was it. This is before Murphys Law, Agnostic Front or the Cro-Mags. I know. Was there anything that mattered before those bands in New York? Not much really.There was Me, Johnny (who started Gilligan’s Revenge with me, and later Token Entry) and my brother, (who later started AbombAnation). As far as we knew we were the only people in the world who knew who the Ramones or the Clash were. We were kids, maybe 11 or 12 years old (I remember when Sid Vicious died, I was 11). One day we saw a kid on a bike wearing a jacket that said The Clash on it, and we were blown away! There is a kid who knows who The Clash is!! It was like finding another living human when you thought you were the last one alive. That kid was Johnny Feedback, the drummer from Kraut. Soon after that we met Jimmy from Murphys Law and Raybeez. Anyway, the first band I was ever introduced to in my life was Black Sabbath. A friend of mine across the street had a big brother who used to evangelize the stuff. The second band I ever cared about in my life was the Ramones. The third, Minor Threat. Most of the guys my age who are into this remember when they "first got into it". They were all former Rock or Metal guys. I never went through that. The only music I ever loved was Punk or Hardcore. Later I grained a huge appreciation for other things, like Jamaican ska or reggae, but I never liked metal or hip hop. Never. Still don’t. The strange part is that now that punk and hardcore is pretty much mainstream, kids today are growing up just like I did; not knowing anything else.

Everyone is inspired by the music they hear whether consciously or subconsciously. What are some of the records that sparked your love of music and more specifically your interest in learning to play guitar?
The Ramones sparked my interest in music. Minor Threat and the Bad Brains sparked my interest in being in a band. Johnny Thunders and the New York Dolls sparked my interest in the guitar. The only reason I picked the drums is because I had a brother who played guitar and I didn’t want to be a copy-cat.

What was the record that made you realize that music was something that you yourself could create instead of just listen to?
It was the Minor Threat song "Stand Up" I was a different person immediately after playing that song over and over and over the first time I heard it.

What was your first guitar and how did it come into your possession?
Fender Telecaster copy. My dad bought it for me. I still have it.

Thinking back I can only really recall you playing one guitar from when you played in Grey Area until now and that is your white Gibson Les Paul. Have you had many guitars over the years?
That white Les Paul is my main guitar. I love it. A lot of people know me by that guitar. I once played a Grey Area show and I started the set by playing my backup guitar, which is a cherry sunburst Gibson Les Paul standard, and a crew of kids in front of the stage complained. I couldn’t believe it. I had to change guitars before the second song because these guys were getting visibly pissed. Ha. I had a wine red Les Paul that I gave to Timmy Chunks. I also had an SG that I traded for a Soldano head. At that moment it sounded like such a good idea, but an SG? Maybe not. The only problem I had with it was that the lacquer in the back of the neck was so slick that my hand made a squeak every time I slid up or down the neck. I mean bad, though. It gave me chills, like when you scratch your fingernails on a blackboard. I also had a Dan Armstrong clear Lucite guitar. Very cool guitar. I now have a deal with Colin from None More Black. I sold it to him with the condition that he can’t sell it to anyone except back to me.

What is the year and model of your white Gibson Les Paul?
1989 Alpine White Gibson Les Paul Custom.

Are you a fan of Vintage gear or do you prefer to buy a guitar and make it your own over the years through customizing and little things here and there?
I think I’d rather go vintage except for Sperzel. I was actually the Art Director of Guitar Magazine for a while, and I had an interview with Jeff Beck. Wow, how cool is that? He's widely known as the second most important guitarist in rock after Jimi Hendrix. Well anyway, here he is saying that he only plays vintage guitars, mainly Strats. During the interview I picked up his guitar that had "Little Richard" scratched into the paint on the body and I noticed that he had Sperzels on it. After the interview I asked him "I thought you said that you only use vintage, original equipment?" "That’s right," he said. "This has Sperzels on it, that's obviously not original" I said. He answered, "Yeah, but those things are awesome." I totally agree.

Live, I noticed you have a Marshall head, but it seemed like all the decals were rubbed off. What model head do you use and what cabinets do you prefer to play through?
I have a Marshall JCM 800 Model 2203. I love it. When Arthur (Gorilla Biscuits) was in Token Entry, he loved Fender twin reverb heads. He was going crazy looking for one - not the combo, just the head. We went to a store, I don’t remember where, and he begged the guy to check the basement even though the guy said they haven't had one of those in years. A few minutes later he came up with a brand new twin reverb head. I couldn’t believe it. A couple of years later I’m in the market for a Marshall JCM 800, but they didn’t make those anymore. They had started making those awful JCM 900s by then. I tried the same thing. I begged the guy to check downstairs for me, even though he said they haven’t had one in years. Ten minutes later he came up with one in his hands. Lightning strikes twice.

Do you use the same gear in the studio as you do live?
I do now. I recorded the Black Train Jack stuff with Dr. Know's Mesa Triple Rectifier. Everything since then has been the Marshall. On the first Arsons record, I did this crazy thing where I used a vintage Electro-Harmonix fuzz box with a vintage Fender Bassman. It sounds awesome. So dirty and ugly.

You have a nice crisp/solid guitar tone both live and on record. With out giving away all your secrets can you talk a little about what you do to get "that sound" in the studio?
It’s not what I get, it’s who I get. His name is Noah Evans. He’s been my engineer since Black Train Jack. He’s amazing.

Are you an effects guy or do you like to plug straight into the head and get a good overdrive/distortion tone that way?
Guitar, cable, amplifier. Sometimes a tuner when I don’t forget.

I am all out of questions here. Is there anything you would like to add or plug? Any words for young aspiring guitar players out there?
The only thing I would say here is please don't smash your guitar, please. If your name isn't Pete Townshend, you have no business smashing a perfectly good instrument. Gently hand it to someone who can't afford one. I only wish that someone would have done that for me when I was a kid and desperately wanted one and couldn't afford one. Thank you.

Chain Of Strength - What Holds Us Apart

2009-07-01T18:53:00.000-07:00

Chain Of Strength - What Holds Us Apart

Too Deep Until Now
The Space Between
Hurts To Ask
Through These Eyes

Bass Tabs:
http://www.mediafire.com/?ult4w03wbym

Down But Not Out - Demo

2009-06-21T04:59:00.000-07:00

Down But Not Out - Demo

Caught In The Cycle
Disintegration
Player Haters
Running Thin

Bass Tabs:
http://www.mediafire.com/?tmwydnztznz

Shark Attack - Blood In The Water

2009-05-30T06:13:00.001-07:00

Shark Attack - Blood In The Water

C.C.P.
Blood In The Water
Space Invader

On The Attack
Misery Loves Company

Bass Tabs:
http://www.mediafire.com/?sharekey=dedf5c253571adedd5a101cf914073b4a5f6dd4f9441e528

First set of Hardcore bass tabs

2009-05-17T08:40:00.001-07:00

Hey everyone,
Here are the first set of Hardcore bass tabs. I hope you enjoy playing them and look forward to the next update. I plan on transcribing Slapshot - Back On The Map, Shark Attack - Blood In The Water, Chain Of Strength - What Holds Us Apart and the Down But Not Out demo for the next update. I also have a few interviews in the works but nothing concrete just yet.

Stop And Think - 1st Demo

2009-05-14T16:19:00.001-07:00

Stop And Think - 1st Demo

Get Lost
Stop And Think
T.J.R.B.
Up To Our Necks
Blood Red

Bass Tabs:
http://www.mediafire.com/?sharekey=dedf5c253571aded7069484bded33bcd0b5dcb0f1f0d605b

The Misfits - Beware 12"

2009-05-14T15:46:00.000-07:00

The Misfits - Beware 12"

We Are 138
Bullet
Hollywood Babylon
Attitude

Horror Business
Teenagers from Mars
Last Caress

Bass Tabs:

http://www.mediafire.com/?sharekey=dedf5c253571aded7069484bded33bcdc7e87397bf6eaa70

Last Rights - Everything

2009-05-14T15:15:00.000-07:00

Last Rights - Everything

Chunks

So Ends Our Night
Out Of Our Minds
Show The Way
Waste Time
No Guts, No Glory

Bass Tabs:
http://www.mediafire.com/?sharekey=dedf5c253571aded7069484bded33bcd1de47b8f8036700c

First set of updates!

2009-04-12T15:12:00.001-07:00

Hey everyone. Here is the first update for my Hardcore Guitar Online blog. I did the following interviews with Cold World, Blacklisted and Reign Supreme a year ago so they are a little dated, but are still an interesting read. The next update will have bass tabs for the following records: Misfits - Beware 12", everything Last Rights recorded and the 1st Stop And Think demo. Until then enjoy.

Martyr without a cause...BLACKLISTED

2008-04-29T07:37:00.000-07:00

Interview with Bean conducted by Donny Mutt.

Can you introduce yourself?
My name is Bean. I play guitar for Blacklisted.

How long have you been playing guitar and what made you decide on playing the guitar as your musical instrument?
I have been playing guitar for around 13 years on and off. I went through a period in my life when I didn't want to touch a guitar. It was a depressing time. I started playing guitar after I heard a song called "Drain You" by Nirvana. The middle of the song right before it starts to build up when there is all those weird noises, that sounded to me like something I could recreate. I couldn't then but it’s still something in my life that drives me.

What was the first guitar you ever owned and what are you currently playing?
The first guitar I ever owned was like a half real, half toy guitar with a built in speaker. My mom and my aunt chipped in to buy it for my 13th birthday. I broke it soon after and bought a Mexican Strat. Since then I've owned many different guitars. Some got stolen or traded or broken. For the last couple of years I have been a loyal fan of Gibson guitars. The first one I owned was a 91 Tobacco Burst Les Paul Standard. It’s my favorite guitar and probably always will be. It’s been with me about 8 years now. It looks like it’s been lit on fire and run over by a tank. I absolutely adore it.

How is your amp setup looking these days?
Right now I am running a Marshall JMP 100 watt master lead through a late 90s 800 cabinet.

Are you a self taught musician or have you taken lessons before?
I took 2 or 3 lessons when I was a kid to learn how to tune my guitar. I quit soon after and learned Nirvana’s “Nevermind” back to front. I felt at the time that was all I needed to know.

What bands did you play in previously that led you to your current position playing guitar in Blacklisted?
I was in a street punk band called No Authority back when I was in high school that did some minor touring with The Unseen and The Casualties. I think that’s around the time when you and I first met, right? After that I was in a band called No Roses for a couple of years. We recorded a demo and an EP on State Of Mind Records. The demo was way better than the EP.

When you joined Blacklisted, they were already an established touring band. How would you describe being offered an opportunity like that as opposed to starting your own band from the ground up?
I was actually offered a spot in Blacklisted when they first started, but I had too many financial obligations at the time to be on the road full time. Later, after The Beat Goes On came out I got in touch with George about playing bass. That was a little over two years ago. After we released "Peace on Earth... " I feel like we became a completely different band anyway so I have had the best and worst of both worlds. Sometimes the forest has to burn down to keep growing.

When you are playing live or recording with Blacklisted do you use any effects other than straight from the amp distortion?
As of late I use everything live that I used to record “Heavier Than Heaven” with. I use a modified Ibanez TS09 Tube Screamer to add weight to the front end of the JMP. For effects, I use a vintage Electro Harmonix Flanger, a Boss Digital Delay, and from time to time a Holy Grail Reverb unit.

The newest Blacklisted record "Heavier Than Heaven, Lonelier Than God" was just released. What was the writing process like for that record?
The process ranged from elation to frustration and many rewrites. Shawn and I always start with bare bones riffs and build from there. Some songs were written to express a certain emotion. We wrote a lot of songs that didn’t make sense together but at the time that was the muse we were feeling, so we kept them and boombox demoed pretty much every riff or full song. After we felt we had enough material to choose from we edited and fine tuned. Every last note of this record was premeditated and placed the way we felt best represented the mixed emotions we had leading up to the process of putting this record together. From song placement to interludes to the length of the album, we produced a record we wanted to hear.

Out of all the songs you helped write with Blacklisted, what song or riff are you the proudest of writing or just being a part of?
“Circuit Breaker” is a song we wrote that I feel sonically wears our influences on its sleeve and at the same time speaks for us as a band. Writing-wise it felt the most natural to me and I feel like it helped give me my own voice among my peers. No mosh part and still as hard as the Cro-Mags. But when you really listen to the nuances it’s as pretty as Hope Sandoval.

What are some interesting influences on the band that you think most people would be shocked to find out?
David Bowie, John Bonham, Jeff Magnum, Belinda Butcher... You know, just wild people out there who have had the balls to be passionate about their demons.

Cold World Mothafuka.... Alex Russin Mothafuka...

2008-04-29T07:22:00.000-07:00

Interview with Alex Russin conducted by Donny Mutt.

How are you doing today Alex?

It’s a shitty day out and I don't have work til Thursday, but it's the Phillies home opener today, so I'm doing okay.

Can you introduce yourself just in case there is anyone out there that has never heard of Cold World?

Alex Russin, guitarist for Cold World. We're a hardcore band from Wilkes-Barre, PA. Aside from playing guitar in Cold World, have you played in any other bands over the years?I've been playing in bands since I was 14. Frame of Reference (first band to ever play Positive Numbers fest), True Identity, Magnus, On X Deck, Live Alert, Frostbite, Cold World. I've also done some work on some of my friends’ records. My friend Greg does an "indie-folk" project called These Elk Forever I soloed on, and on the new No Turning Back I have a solo. I think that’s it. I could be wrong. It’s been awhile.

Do you remember the first time you picked up a guitar and realized playing guitar was something you wanted to do?

In my house, in order to play sports I had to play an instrument. I actually started playing piano just so I could play baseball and basketball. But I got into guitar when I was about 11 or 12. It became my first love. When I was about 15 I realized I wasn't that bad, and probably had more of a future playing guitar than swinging a bat so I focused more on guitar than sports. So that was when I really started thinking about guitar a lot and really busting my ass with it.

What influence did Del Griffith have on your playing? I know he is some what a hero of yours.

His air-orchestra rendition of THE MESS AROUND is the reason a game like Guitar Hero was invented. His general free spiritedness and love for all things in life really gives a man hope.

How long have you been playing the guitar? Is it something you learned on your own or did you take lessons?

I started playing around 11-12. I took lessons in Jazz and Blues actually. I thought "rock" guitar was easy so I never really wanted to learn that except on my own free time. I really think learning jazz and blues makes my playing unique simply because its not something most guitarists do, especially hardcore guitarists.

What would you say is your favorite or the most satisfying aspect about playing the guitar and music in general for you?

You can never be perfect. And there is always someone better than you. I like that about playing guitar. It’s not a competition, but in the same aspect you're always trying to be as good as possible. Also, just creating a song that you feel like you would listen to if you hadn't written it is an incredible feeling.

I always liked that you play Les Pauls whenever I have seen you play live. What kind of guitars do you own and what would be your dream guitar purchase?

Right now I have an '87 Les Paul Custom, ESP EC Deluxe 1000 (which I don’t like that much), and an American Strat that I inherited from a family friend that died. Honestly, I've played a lot of guitars and my Les Paul will always be my favorite, so that is my dream guitar and I own it. But, if I could buy any guitar it would probably be an early 70's Les Paul Standard, or maybe a late 50's Gibson ES 137.

Is your live amp setup any different than what you use in the studio to record with?

On the first two records, I basically used my live setup for one guitar and Title Fight's Marshall Mode 4 for the other guitar. On the new record though, I didn't use my live setup at all. My live setup is basically my Les Paul or ESP through my pedal board [described later], into a Mesa Dual Rec, with a Mesa 4x12. For this record I used 3 amps to get one sound and then recorded that 3 times for three rhythm tracks. It was a Mesa Tremoverb into a Marshall 1960A cab, 5150 into a Harry Kolbe cab, and a Marshall MK II head that I had a master volume added to going into a Mesa cab. All of that blended together to make one sound.

You are one of the few hardcore guitarists I have seen to have such an interesting pedal board set up. Most guitarists only use a noise suppressor and a tuner. What are you running and how do you have your effects chained?

I wish I could draw this somehow... but, its a Dimebag Wah - Korg tuner - noise suppressor *through the loop of the noise suppressor: fulldrive fulltone 2 overdrive - MXR 6 Band EQ* - Boss octave pedal - Boss dd6 digital delay - Boss chorus ensemble - Boss flanger - electro harmonix holy grail of reverb. I have the EQ and the overdrive on all the time, and I set the gain on my head back a little bit. This really cleans the sound up and makes the notes more distinct. The chorus pedal is my secret weapon. It really makes mosh parts more like that alpha omega sound.

When you started singing more with Cold World, was that an easy transition to start singing and playing more or did that take you a while to find your groove?

The older songs are easy to do it with, but the new songs took some practice and a lot of concentration. The whole album is more complicated guitar-wise and its not that easy to sing and play some of the new shit.

When Cold World is getting ready to write a new song or an album, what is your writing process like? Do you all work together on the material or do certain members compose the material and then present it to the band as a completed idea?

Nick and I write the songs. Sometimes he'll come up with an idea and bring it to me, and sometimes I'll write a part and bring it to him. I've tried to write a whole song before, but when Nick and I get together, we end up fucking with it a lot and either adding parts or changing existing parts.

On your current CD "No Omega" you mentioned how in the studio you broke so many strings you wound up playing a 7-string guitar with a capo on the 2nd fret to finish a song. What was that like and how in the world do you burn through two packs of strings in the studio? That just seems crazy to me.

It was weird to play with a seven string. I never did it before, and you basically have to readjust your whole playing style. It’s really strange. Honestly, I don't really break strings that often; that was an off night.

If you had to choose, what would be the riff or song that best defines your style?

Probably the song Ice Grillz, because I think you can hear that different style that I have in it. On the new record there are some songs that you can really hear my style come through. It’s definitely more musical so you can hear all of our styles a lot more.

Cold World recorded most of your material with the legendary NYHC engineer Don Furry. What made you decide to go to Underground Sound Studios with Billy and Danny from Biohazard to record your new record?

Working with Don was cool, but it was very frustrating. He was very out of touch and the idea of me singing or scratch parts in songs, that was so beyond him. He's a great guy and I have nothing bad to say about him, but the new songs are super wild and we didn't think he was the right guy to produce it.

Have you received any guff from the hardcore community since your "No Omega" CD is available in Hot Topic? I only know it is in there because I bought a copy myself for $9. 99 at the Granet Run Mall Hot Topic. I know that is not cool to admit, but it was the first place I saw it available at.

Didn't catch any shit for it yet that I know of. I pay zero attention to the Internet. So all the shit talk that happens, I am blind to it. It’s way better that way. But honestly, kids don't buy records anymore for the most part. They download them. So it’s hard for an independent record store, where a hardcore CD would normally be sold, to stay open. So it goes to places like Best Buy or Hot Topic and that’s why its important for a label to have distribution that goes to places like that, because mom pop record stores are going out of business left and right.

One of my favorite things about Cold World is that you occasionally bust out a solo in your songs. Is that something we should be expecting more of on "Dedicated To The Babies That Came Feet First?"

Yeah, there’s a good amount of solos on the new record. Even some leads that aren't necessarily solos but definitely add to songs, and a lot of hardcore kids will consider them solos, but they are just leads.

Last words?

BE EAZY

Reign Supreme In This World Gone Wrong!

2008-04-29T07:06:00.000-07:00

Interview with Jay Pepito conducted by Donny Mutt.

Can you introduce yourself for anyone who is not familiar with your current band Reign Supreme?

Sure, my name is Jay Pepito, and I've been playing guitar in various musical projects for the past 14 years of my life. Currently, I rage on the mic for Reign Supreme.

How long have you been playing guitar and what was it that made you decide to start playing in the first place?

Like I said, I started playing in bands around age 11, but I first picked up a guitar around age 9. I thought it seemed interesting so I wanted to learn, but couldn't really get into any of the music I was being taught. Hearing Nirvana changed all that, ha ha.

Are you a self-taught musician or have you ever taken guitar lessons?

Both, I guess. I took guitar lessons, but everything I know and use in my playing today is stuff I taught myself. I'd sit down with records I loved, and teach myself to play them. Then I was able to learn what progressions made what types of sounds, and just worked off of that basically.

What was the first guitar you ever owned and do you remember the first song you learned how to play on it?

I owned a classical piece of shit Spanish guitar that I destroyed years ago, and I taught myself the song “Something in the Way” by Nirvana while waiting in my mom’s car for her to finish getting a haircut. I still love that song; I’ll never forget the feeling I got from figuring it out on my own like that.

Do you have a set practice regimen when you play at home or do you just play whenever you get a free moment? For example, do you have certain routines where you practice techniques that you want to improve on, or do you just jam on whatever just to play?

Nah, I don't really practice. I just bust out my guitar and play around with it; sometimes I write songs, other times I just wank on Pantera and Marauder riffs until my girlfriend tells me I'm ruining 'Top Chef' for her.

What is your dream guitar/amp combo you hope to one day own?

So many. Amp wise, I'd love to have a 50 watt JCM 800 with a couple of Marshall cabs, maybe a 2000 also. I'd love a Matchless combo for indulging my rock instincts. Guitar wise, I love my Mockingbird, but I'd like a Mustang, a Les Paul custom, a Thunderbird, and a Flying V. I'd definitely love a great Takamine or Gibson acoustic too, and a Fender Marcus Miller bass. My favorite.

Aside from singing for Reign Supreme, what are your previous bands that led you to where you are at today musically?

I played guitar in a couple bands before Reign Supreme. In my younger years, bands like A Thin Line Fading and Anything Goes (who I'm sure nobody remembers) taught me about melody and aggression and how the two can work really well together. Playing in a band like No Rights taught me a lot about song structure and innovation taking a backseat to execution and urgency. And playing for Blacklisted laid the foundation for my interest in heavy, NYHC influenced hardcore. Though to be fair, my guitar playing and song writing is much different with Reign Supreme than it has been with any other bands. I approach all of our songs like I'm trying to write a hit single, a mix of melody and heaviness, with a little bit of a different feel than our peers in hardcore today.

I was very surprised when I found out you were singing for Reign Supreme and not playing guitar. What motivated you to pick up the mic instead of the axe when you decided to start a new band?

Desperation, ha ha. Reign Supreme became my vocal debut only because we couldn't find anyone else to do it. With that said, I love singing for this band, and I'm glad it worked out that way.

Did you write all of the music for Reign Supreme's demo and the EP "American Violence" or was it a collaborative effort with the whole band?

All of our songwriting is a collaborative effort. I’ll write a song and we will learn it, whatever. Then other dudes will have input, and we will either take it or leave it. Mostly, Joe (drums) and I write everything, he is a great guitar player in addition to being a sick drummer.

Honestly, I have always been impressed with your ear for writing a great hardcore song. What is your writing process like? When you have a basic riff you like, how do you go about bringing it to life and evolving that riff into a fully composed song?

Thanks man, that means a lot to me. Basically, my songwriting starts off as blind riffing on my guitar with zero thought involved. Occasionally it develops into something cool. Then I take that and put it with another riff that accompanies it musically; the key thing is that the whole song maintains a similar but intense feel. Our dynamic is energetic, but I don't want to forsake melody and actual musical knowledge in favor of mosh salad, ha ha. After I write a basic song, riffs and all, I’ll write lyrics and the lead guitar parts, which are always the final accompanying component of a Reign Supreme song.

Do you have any musical influences that you think no one would have ever guessed inspired you to write a song for Reign Supreme or any of your previous bands?

Ha ha, I can't give it all away. But I will say that Nirvana, Sepultura, Muse, Isis, the Deftones, Saves the Day, Portishead, Quicksand, Handsome, Down, and many other bands that don't sound exactly like us are HUGE influences on my guitar playing and song writing style.

Last time I saw you playing guitar you had a black Gibson SG. What kind of guitar/guitars do you have these days and what is your amp/cab setup like? Do you use any effects or pedals?

I don't own an amp, I sold it to pay for food on the last tour we had. But right now, I have a maple BC Rich Mockingbird that I customized, and I absolutely love it. I also have a Digitech delay, Boss tuner, and Sonic Maximizer pedal that we use for recordings and live performances. I plan on stepping up my gear game once I can afford to, but right now, just eating on tour is about all I spend my cash on.

If you had to name one thing, what would be the key element to your guitar sound when you record with a band?

I couldn't name just one. But clarity of what is being played, thickness/layering of tracks, tone, and precision with my actual playing are all elemental and extremely important aspects of our recording process.

Out of all the music you’ve composed throughout the years for various bands, what is the one song or riff you look back on now and feel the proudest about writing?

I couldn't answer this question that easily... maybe “Eye for an Eye” or “That Ain’t Real Much” by Blacklisted, or “I Stand Defiant” or “To a Dead God” by Reign Supreme. I'm not sure. I honestly feel that the Reign Supreme stuff that we've written that hasn't been recorded yet is my strongest writing yet. Heavy riffs, simple melody. I just want to write songs that I love, and that combine brutality and aggression with sheer emotion and a feeling of desperation and urgency.