Page 3 - ROCKNATION ISSUE 26

ROCKNATION ISSUE 26 PAGE 3

Photo credit - Robert Bursey Interview with Brian Vollmer

Hello Brian from HELIX and welcome to Rocknation. Congrats on your new album “Old School” that will be released
June 16th on Perris Records. What are the HELIX fans going to hear on this release?
All the songs on this disc were written during the 80’s. Our manager at the time was looking for the “big hit single” and so
I think a lot of these songs were overlooked. 3 of the tracks: Tie Me Down, Your Turn to Cry, & Games Mother Never
Taught You were extracted from 2” tape by thermally baking them. Cheers was taken from a cassette tape. The rest of the
tracks we re-recorded using the original cassette tapes as a guide.

This album is being dedicated to Paul Hackman the former HELIX guitarist. Please tell us about that.
Paul and I did most of the band’s writing back in the day. He was a HUGE part of our sound from that era. Not only was he a
writer on 8 of these 10 tracks, he’s actually playing and singing background vocals on two of them. When Paul died in a car
accident in the early 90’s it was nearly the end of the band-that’s how important he was to the group. I think if he was alive
today he’s give a big “thumbs up” to the album OLD SCHOOL.

Who is mixing and mastering this “Old School” Release?
The tracks were recorded by Daryl at his Dawghause Studios in St. Catherines, Ontario, but for the mix we’re using Siegfried
Meier. “Sieggy” has won a Juno for his work up here in Canada. He’s worked with such international bands as KITTIE.

Who did the fantasic artwork layout for the CD booklet and tray card?
The idea for the fist coming through the roof of the schoolhouse was mine. Executing my idea was former lead Helix guitarist
Brent “The Doctor” Doerner. Brent also came up with the rest of the artwork-the teacher paddling my ass and the band in the
classroom. Brent is my “go to guy” now when I need any artwork done. He’s a very artistic and talented person.