Page 6 - ISSUE 12

PAGE 6 ROCKNATION ISSUE 12
was really disappointing.
Mary: You came out of a music scene that
gave us, you, Eddie Van Halen and Randy
Rhoads - Fans look at that as the golden
era of guitar - you were actually a part of
that special time - when you look back, how
do you remember those times?
George: Very competitive. Uncomfortably
competitive. Guitar has always been that
to a certain extent, even in my teens it was
By: Mary Ouellette always about who was better than the guy
other musicians that you’ve played with in down the block, so by nature I think it’s
very competitive, which is cool. I think it
work in a way that I never imagined would the past on this album. (Jeff Pilson, Mike can be a little weird in the sense that if it’s
Wengren, Andrew Freeman) Were those
work so it’s kind of a mystery why it works collaborations planned or did they just about one-upmanship then where does that
but why question it. But everything is done happen to be around at the time? How did really lead? The demise of the whole guitar
pretty independently. I really respect him things come together? shred thing that we saw in the latter part
because although I accept ideas on my end George: They all have different stories re- of the eighties where songs were vehicles
I’m usually pretty self-contained with what ally. Mike Wengren (from Disturbed) and I for solos versus the other way around
I do, and he is as well, so I love to see that had been talking because I had been friend which is really what rock and roll is about.
in a vocalist. He’s really passionate about with him off and on. I played with them at a It’s about the message and the reaction to
it. He always one-ups himself and comes couple of shows and they were big Dokken what’s going on in the world around us and
up with amazing stuff that just blows my fans when they were kids so it was exciting an alternative viewpoint on the status quo.
mind. (That’s why we’re getting married!) for them and it was exciting for me, they’re I think that’s the larger picture that people
Mary: I saw an interview where you said a great band. Mike was all about playing lost sight of in the early eighties. So I think
that a record should be an experience for a on the record so he flew out from Chicago for me the eighties was a vacuous period
listener, not just a single here or there, do and we got together in my studio with Fred musically but it did produce some amazing
you feel like you’ve created the complete Leclercq (from Dragonforce) and recorded technical guitar players. I certainly don’t
five songs. We were never look at them as icons that I look to like the
able to get that back together players from the British Invasion and the
again because Dragonforce guys from the early seventies like Clapton
and Disturbed were both and Page.
George Lynch has a new project and touring heavily and so busy.
Souls of We be thy name. Teaming I originally intended it to be
up with London LeGrand of Brides just that band to record a
of Destruction fame on vocals, Yael record so I ended up pulling
Morgan Rose (from Seven-
on drums and Johny Chow on bass, dust) in for a track and Yael
Souls of We has released their debut on a track who’s now in the
album Let The Truth Be Known. It band, and Johny Chow on
was a long time coming but some a track and Jeff Pilson plays
things are worth the wait. Legendary on quite a bit of stuff. He
guitarist Lynch took some time to talk lives close to me and we’re
to Rocknation about it. friends and talk all the time,
so that was easy. I had a
Mary: You call Souls of We a dream lot of friends who wanted
to help me out, the biggest
band because you were able to hand challenge was making the
pick your band mates as you went along, whole process sound like it
what do you think it is about each mem- had some continuity which
ber that made them the perfect fit for this we accomplished in the end pretty much.
project? experience with Let the Truth be Known? Mike Wengren has got the best sounding
George: London and I had been friends George: I think maybe 7/10ths of it yes. drums on the record and I’m regretful that
for years but never really were able to get I have some disappointments personally he didn’t get to do the whole record that
it together to play music together; we had with the way the record ends. I’m disap-
a few false starts. When we finally did get pointed with the instrumental to a certain
in a room together in the studio to start extent. There are parts of it I love but it
creating it was like all this pent up creative just one of those songs I wrestled with
juice that was just waiting to be released. It over and over again. It was a song with
was like a liquid musical explosion. That’s a vocals at one point, and I was just never NAIL
very sexual analogy isn’t it? We’re not gay, satisfied with it. Also, “Nork 13” was more
believe me. of an afterthought. It was something that
Mary: You have called him your musical we recorded a long time ago for another
soul mate though, so that’s pretty close! project, but it’s an interesting little song.
George: Yeah we always kid around about It’s strange. I think those two things and a
that. If I was gay, London would be my couple other instances on the record just
boyfriend. Nah, he’s an amazing guy, he’s didn’t quite gel and I think after the five
so funny and he’s so smart, he’s got such year process we were just done. You can
a unique personal style that’s so genuine. keep making a record for your whole life
The thing about London is you look at him but at some point we had to put a lid on it.
and you think well he looks amazing, but There was a lot of pain involved, five years
is it contrived? Usually guys that look that is a long time so we had to let it go. Having
Hollywood, it’s all put together and there’s said that, I would say that three quarters of
no substance there; but in London’s case the record is a very gratifying experience
it actually is. He’s got really deep, southern and it amazes me that there’s continuity
blues, rootsy kind of stuff. He’s just got throughout the record considering it was
such a unique way of writing his poetry done in such a convoluted way over such a
and expressing himself musically. It’s a long period of time.
good counterpart to what I do. He’s a little Mary: For fans familiar with your previous
trippier than I am and I’m a little more nuts projects, what makes this project different
and bolts and so we complement each from Lynch Mob and Brides of Destruction?
other very well and we have a great time George: It’s the total opposite end of a
just hanging out. Johny is very reserved; as Lynch Mob record. We’re doing a Lynch
most bass players are. Not the party animal Mob record right now and they are com- www.nailband.com
guy or anything like that. He’s very deep in pletely two different animals. Lynch Mob
the business, very focused and centered is much more organic, much simpler and
and pragmatic, so that’s a good balancing much more spontaneous and bluesier. I 11 Track CD
factor. Yael is very trippy and hippy-ish and guess you could call it a traditional blues/
really in tune with being an activist; her hard rock record. I think when people listen
music is related to the rest of the world and to this project compared to London’s past
what she can do to make it a better place projects I think they’ll be elated because I
and I also align with that so it’s a really nice think he really comes into his own on this
mix of cool, creative, intelligent people. record. The first Brides record was okay Founded in 2007 by former “HELIX” members Cindy &
Mary: You already touched upon your but it didn’t do him justice. I don’t think he
working relationship with London – what is was allowed to flourish and do everything Rainer Wiechmann. NAIL has a sound that is typically unique
the writing process like for the two of you? he wanted to do but on this record he had to the band, and in all fairness does not set out to “sound like”
Did you write the majority of the music and complete liberty to do whatever he wanted
he wrote the lyrics or how did it work? to do, he had no restraint and with that or copy any other bands. While the music is evocative of
George: Yes the writing and the lyrics type of freedom I think he went beyond female-fronted Euro-metal groups such as Nightwish,
are two completely separate magistrates. himself. He’s a very substantive guy. As
I’m much more comfortable working on far as what I’m doing on here I think that I or perhaps Doro, influences include Tool, Rush,
my own and creating a bed, so to speak, didn’t change up just to change up. This is Black Sabbath, to name a few.
a foundation. With Dokken, Jeff Pilson really just a genuine expression of where
could pick up a guitar and then offer up an we were at during that period of time in
alternative chord or direction but London history, we captures it and sometimes
isn’t like that and I feel confident handling its disappoint to see people who are old CD distributed by:
that part of it off to him. When I hand it to school diehard Dokken fans say “What
him he said it’s his dream music that he the hell is this?” but free your mind a little SUPER D www.sdcd.com
hears in his head that I write for him and bit. I wouldn’t have made this record in the CD BABY www.cdbaby.com
he knows exactly where it’s suppose to go. eighties but I wouldn’t make an eighties
He puts stuff on there that I would never record right now. PERRIS RECORDS www.perrisrecords.com
imagine could go there and he just makes it Mary: There’s a few appearance from