Scarlet: Greetz and congrats on resurrecting your favorite brainchild!

 

Ramrod: Howdy, Scarlet. Been a while.  It's good to be back.

 

Scarlet: Ramrod & Aerik Von - seems like a match made in hell!
Will he be writing all of the lyrics on the upcoming release or just some of them?

 

Ramrod: Aerik wrote a ton of Chemikiller lyrics just out of the blue and started sending them to me,
so I took it and ran with it.  So he's written like 90% of the lyrics so far and I offered him the
bass slot in the studio as well.

 

Scarlet: The new track 'Hell Unleashed' up on your myspace is some killer stuff- thrashy yet with a
doomy menacing groove to the bass and guitars yet it's somewhat of a departure from the overall style
of 'Evilspeak. Was this a spontaneous shift and how much of this was Von's doing?
 
Ramrod: Von and I have been collaborating on stuff together for years, for various projects.
Of all the lyrics he wrote, I actually only used one song on the last Chemikiller album, for
"The Last Temptation." For the last year or so, people have been asking "When's the next Chemikiller
album coming?" The truth was.. I hadn't a clue.  I was going through a divorce (still am),
plus some additional personal shit that really had my head in a bad place.  I was feeling no
inspiration at all.
 
A little history: The tracks on Evilspeak were a combination of really old stuff I had written in
the 80s with a High School band Defcon plus some newer stuff I had written because a few labels had
actually expressed an interest.  I had no idea what the fuck I was doing, I was learning on the fly
how to record with a computer.  Before that I used the old 4-track tape machines.
So fast forward to a deal with Witches Brew in Germany which eventually busted due to my own stupidity.
That's all I'll say on that. No sooner had the deal collapsed that I was picked up by Autopsy Kitchen
and they released Evilspeak.  So that album was pretty much a hodgepodge mixing of all my best demos
to date, plus a few new ones.  Over the next year or two I slipped into a depression caused by a
failing marriage, I imagine. So eventually I just dropped out of the scene, thinking nobody would miss
me. But now I think I've succeeded in turning all my anger back out at the world instead of in on
myself and I've been writing and recording again. So next came.. ugh.. Writer's block.  I spent the last
six months trying to be the second coming of Venom, I lost sight of the big picture. I think I put in
a Piledriver album and suddenly the inspiration hit me.  So I'm just churning out what comes out of
my head. We'll see how this new one turns out.

 

Scarlet: You are kind of a mystery to many because you list Bathory (much of which is viking themed)
as a major influence yet the insert to 'Evilspeak' reads "No Vikings, No Corpsepaint, No Keyboards,
No Bullshit..Just Black Fucking Thrash" Ok, granted "keyboards" do not belong in classic black thrash
but why the aversion to vikings?
 
Ramrod: I just never liked the gimmick.  I love the early Bathory.. all the evil Satanic stuff
but I think when he went Nordic, he just seemed to take it too serious. The same way I laughed
my ass off when I saw pictures on Manowar.. with the pelts and the swords and the loincloths.
They're a great band but it was just a silly gimmick.

 

Scarlet: Both members of Darkthrone have made mention of Chemikiller on their msypace pages,
Fenriz has you listed under "influences" and I actually found your band in Nocturno Culto's
myspace mp3 player 2 years ago approx. Are you into Darkthrone's music at all?

 

Ramrod: Darkthrone kicks ass. If you blew up the entire 90's metal scene with dynamite,
Darkthrone would be the only thing that survives. They see through all the bullshit
and play real fuckin' Metal.  It's all about the riffs. Darkthrone understands that.

 

Scarlet: Would you kindly take a seat in the time machine and then describe your first
"religious" metal experience?

 

Ramrod: That's a no-brainer.  Around '85, I was in High School.  I went to a party at a friend's house.
Actually a friend of a friend.  This guy had a huge collection of underground videos and the one
that was playing when I walked in the door was this...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1meQ0ykJ80I
I was hooked. Been a die-hard Venom Legion ever since.  So anybody who tells you Venom isn't an
important influence or isn't "true Black Metal" can go lick my big hairy goat balls.
And THAT is a quote from Chemikiller.

 

Scarlet: Øhy! moving right along..which came first- the vox or the axe?

 

Ramrod: I began as a bass player at age 10 (1977).  I had a Beatle bass copy i inherited from my uncle.
Funny thing is I'm left handed, my dad tried to teach me a few bass lines even though he had no
idea how to play himself.. he has a jazz background and plays horns.  But he made me flip it right
handed and learn that way.  To this day, I can't play left handed.  When I got into High School
at age 13, I took up guitar.  I only started singing cause I couldn't find anybody else to do it
and since my biggest influences all played and sang (Gene Simmons, Lemmy, Cronos),
it seemed a logical step.
 
Scarlet: Do you ever listen to jazz at all these days?

 

Ramrod: I didn't really like jazz, but my dad played it alot so I became familiar with some
of the artists like Herbie Mann, Weather Report, Eric Dolphy, Charlie Parker...
My earliest musical taste was Kiss.  Then Black Sabbath, AC/DC, Yes, Rush, Iron Maiden,
Judas Priest, Motorhead, Metallica, Gwar, Anthrax/SOD, and actually some techno.
I love The Crystal Method.  These days I've gotten back into Sabbath.
I'm currently playing bass in a Sabbath Tribute band.

 

Scarlet: Would you tell me a bit more aout that project?

 

Ramrod: I'm in Black Sabotage. An Ozzy era Sabbath tribute. It's a lot of fun.
www.myspace.com/blacksabotagenj

 

Scarlet: What exactly prompted your decision to leave Autopsy Kitchen Records?
You mention a possible near future liason with a German label on your site,
is a 2009 European tour something you and Aerik would consider?

 

Ramrod: I didn't really leave, I just kind of disappeared and they chose not to continue their
business relationship with me.  I dont blame them.  I was being a moody prick. But I am happy
to report that a certain German label may actually pick me back up, although I don't want to
jinx it too early. A tour? I'm too old for that shit.  Maybe a few gigs around NJ if I could
actually find 2 or 3 guys who wanted to play out...  But years of advertising and I havent
found one local bassist, drummer or guitarist who's interested.  Do I suck that bad????
I'll just have to keep saying "I'm big in Europe."
 
Scarlet: Do you prefer playing live or in the studio?

 

Ramrod: Chemikiller's never performed but I've done plenty of gigging with other bands.
I love playing live. It's my favorite. An adrenaline rush I can't describe.  It's like
skydiving.  However, I also like working in the studio where I can work at my own pace.
Usually, it's my session on my gear and it's nice to be in control.  Sometimes I like to be
the "hired gun." For example, I got a call from my friend Gary of Bitchslicer who asked me to
come out to his studio in Philly and lay down some solos for his new album. I was flattered
that he liked my style enough to want to use me a "featured guest."  That was fun.
I still haven't heard the final tracks.  I guess I gotta buy the new Bitchslicer?GARY???

 

Scarlet: Time to run..say hello to the other Jersey Devil for me!

 

Ramrod: Jersey Devil? You may have just named the album....
Cheers.  Take care.  Stay Metal.