Information
Author: Mourning
Translation: Dope Fiend
Formazione
Jonny Nesta - Guitarts
Jackie Slaughter - Guitars, Vocals
Casey Slide - Bass
Jake - Drums
Already our guests in our 'zine in occasion of the debut with the review of "Heavier Than Metal", they came back to visit us with their new album "Head Of The Pack", which you will find the review in the site. They are the young Skull Fist, furious fans of heavy metal.
Welcome to our site, there was a troubled period prior to the album, a couple of changes in line-up, this pinwheel to what was due? You have now found the most suitable structure to represent Skull Fist?
Jackie: Well brother, sometimes she goes and sometimes she dont to sum it up man simply enough. I hated Shred and Alison and they hated me, hahaha. We just didnt get along in any aspect unless we were drunk so it was either get drunk constantly in order to have a good time with them or they leave. But the brothers now have been long friends so were having a fuckin blast together. Stapling each other in the face and such.
How did the band born? And why the choice of monicker Skull Fist?
I moved to the big city to rock. Started the search for brothers to rock with and five years later I finally found them! Early 2006 the band started so it took a while to find the bro's. I choose Skull Fist because its a fuckin great name and sums up exactly what the band is. I was drinking and decided a rad album cover would have a clenched skeleton fist on it. But instead I said Skull Fist. Next day I wrote it on a t-shirt and it stuck.
Jackie, you are the only member of the primordial line-up and a charismatic leader behind the microphone, what adjectives would you use to better define your music?
It took five years until we released our first album. In my opinion the original lineup starts with the first album. In ten years Jonny and Casey will be known as the original boys. There has been a shitload of people who have come and gone from Skull Fist. People that only lasted a few months. As for charisma. If you call getting drunk and farting on chick charasmatic then well, fuckin right, thats me hahahah. The music defines itself though. I dont need to explain it, its written in the words.
I received from you the ep "Heavier Than Metal" from which I was struck, finally heavy metal without caricature e without modern lacquers, seemed to be back boy listening to music with the greatest that commented it. At the time it was released as a self-produced and distributed by Infernö Label if I remember correctly. It has created some interest in your release, what are the most obvious feedback that you have received?
Some people hated it, some people loved it, some people bitched about the production, some people didnt, some people said I sound like a girl signing, some people agreed with that, hahaha. The feedback was rad, Fab from Inferno deffently helped us along the way! He fuckin rules man. We spent a lot of money sending that damned thing out to everyone possiible so in the end it was totally worth it. It got us hooked up with rock the nation and noise art. I fuckin love those guys too man, great damned relationship.
Just one year after you comes back with "Head Of The Pack", connects the old connects to the new, what is the reason that prompted you to repeat "Ride The Beast" and "No False Metal"? They have brought luck and after the demo and the ep, it was right that they too were in the full? A superstitious move?
I hated the version on the ep. Those songs mean a shitload to me. I wrote them along time ago and I didnt want them to disappear, I wanted to do the songs better justice and I am not done playing them live! I love playing them live so we redid'em so ensure they stick around forever!
Who is this head of the pack mentioned in the album title?
It's all in the lyrics brother!
You have kept intact the coordinates of the recent past, the songwriting is more fluid than in the ep and songs like the title track, "Get Fisted," "Tear Down The Wall", "Like A Fox" and "Cold Night" are most beautiful. You have also shown consistent and aligned to the ranks of bands that want to bring back the real "heavy", I think of people like White Wizzard, Enforcer and Steelwing. What are your thoughts on this new scene that is slowly going to be?
The better, I love those bands. There are tons of them out there and its fun as hell. I've met a lot of those dudes and they are all rad as hell guys too. As long as the people are cool and there actually fuckin committed to rock them im cool. Heavy metal is the best and commitment is the only way to show it as long as those guys are rocking with all they got and doing heavy metal justice then I have no problem. Its the guys that half ass it or take the spirit away and the feeling for granted, like I said. Heavy metal is a beautiful thing. It needs the appreciation it deserves and needs to be taken care of, like a baby zebra or some shit.
You come from Canada, a land that has produced masterpieces in any musical form, as you are in your scene? There are bands that you admire and with whom you have maybe a friendly relationship?
I dont like meeting bands that I really like. I've had some ridiculous experiences so now I dont even bother to meet the band. I just take what i need out of the music and thats it. Of course there are a few guys I wouldnt mind partying with. I never really pay attention to the fact that the band is canadian or not though but i guess its kind of cool when its a band that is from the same city. We are buddies with all the canadian bands out nowadays though. Usually hang out and drink with them when we can! You gotta always make time for tune sharing and drinking, haha.
We often speak of the live situation, formations that are not counted among the "big" releasing great records and then struggle to get a result, while the usual suspects, some of which are dead talking about recording, but still valid in live (see the Maiden), continue to fill stadiums and instead people like Redemption is playing here with fifty people in front. It's all a matter of wrong mentality on the part of metalhead?
All of the old bands are going to die eventually. That whole crowd and monster metal fan base will die. Reason being? Because all these fucking old heavy metal bands from the 80's are still hot headed about there own careers they dont give a shit about new heavy metal bands or bother to have these new heavy metal bands open for them. I'm not speaking about EVERY old band, but shitloads of them. If they were true metalheads and rad dudes they would gracefully pass on the flag. But instead they dont bother to promote these new bro's. They still talk about the same old shit and relive the glory they had thirty years ago. Fuck! I could ramble on about that for hours, if we ever meet. We will get into details.
The concert also became the place where you have more feedback with the merchandise, the bands live mainly thanks to the on stage tests. What was the event that you remember the best of those you have made and what is the worse?
The thing I fucking hate the most is when I'm on stage rocking and some prick in the crowd is playing on his god damned phone. I would kick everyone of those guys if I could. Mondo dorks, as for making money. We dont know anything about that yet. Were still mondo broke trying to sell things to pay rent, but I really do fuckin owe it all to the bros that actually care about the music there not fans. They are brothers! But every show we play and there are a few bangers really fuckin rockin with us becomes my new favorite show. I just go day by day. Let the magic run its course. Every show always has a certain element of fuckin magic to it so as long as were rocking and the crowd is rocking then it fuckin rules.
Strange stories before going on stage?
People chanting "Skull Fish", thats always fun. One time I was drinking before this Enforcer and Bullet gig we did with this bro in Germany and I was sitting down the whole time. I stood up to go get on stage and fell over and realized I was fuckin hammered, I didnt remember anything from the show and fell over like four times when we were playing. I dont like drinking before a gig but that day I got carried away with it, then i seen some photos from the gig and one of them was of me laying down since I left my case on stage and fell over it, hahaha.
Who are the Babes Of Skull Fist, besides being a feast for the eyes?
The babes are some serious babes in Toronto, thanks to Toxic Vision she set everything up for us. Brought a bunch of rad babes to this studio and started shooting. It was mondo rad, we are actually going to do another Babes of Skull Fist shoot. Everyone loves hot babes so its kind of a treat for the bros instead of looking at photos of us greasy bastards all the time.
Kids who are approaching for the first time to metal depart increasingly from the extreme, underestimating or not calculating the side that covers the history of this world as the NWOBHM and the dark eighties heavy strand (Venom and Mercyful Fate), what you can recommend to anyone who wants to approach the genre?
Its like when your doing anything. Start from the start and work your way forward. Its much funner that way. You can hear the music evolve, it fuckin rules!
Five metal albums and five non metal albums essential for your musical growth?
Griffin - "Flight Of The Griffin"
Alien - demo from 85, I think
Riot - "Thundersteel"
Nitro - "Ofr"
Dokken - "Breaking The Chains"
Non metal:
Pink Floyd - "The Wall"
Neil Young - "Harvest Moon"
Mozart - "The Magic Flute"
Kate Bush's first album, hahhaa
Elvis - "30 Top Hits"
Who are Skull Fist outside the band size? Everyday life, work, extra-musical passions?
Skull Fist doesnt really have a life outside Skull Fist. At home we just sit and wait to go back on tour, work random jobs occasionally to pay the rent. I like to skateboard, Jonny likes to ride bikes, Casey likes to smoke cigarettes and Jake... I have no idea actually, haha. I think he spends most his time watching sweet old movies, but aside from that none does anything else. We usually jam everyday so we spend most of our time with that. I also collect plants, hahahaha.
Often, especially the organs of the christian faith, have accused the metal to break up families, to be material that corrupts the soul and similar bullshit. What is your relationship with your family? They are accustomed to this way of life you taken?
Religion corrupts people much more than metal does, thats for sure. We've only burned a few churches and got into a few fist fights, hahaha. Those guys have fucked shit up for thousands of years. My parents... the only time I've ever gotten shit from them was when I spray painted my dog and I dont believe in souls so who the fuck cares anyways, hahaha.
What awaits you now? There will be dates in Europe and maybe a passage in Italy?
Were in Italy with Steelwing early february! Europe tour with Grand Magus, Bullet, Steelwing and Vanderbuyst. All rad bands. Weve got some rad festival stuff lined up for the summer. Going to do the USA in spring. We just try to stay on the road as much as possible.
As Skull Fist will conquer the metal world?
We will have it no other way brother! As soon as we get loaded well buy some billboards that just "Heavy Metal" on them!
Time is running out, there only remains to recite the phrase that will end the interview, I leave you the word.
Thats ok. That sacred place you'll find it your way. Can you feel that feelin? Don't let go, you won't let go, cause you gotta commit to rock!
