Hey
Mr. Wizard, how are you doing?
Hello I am doing good.
Let’s start right away. How did you begin being keen on rock music? What was your first album purchased?
Let’s start right away. How did you begin being keen on rock music? What was your first album purchased?
You’re also known as an artist in certain circles – for making
exhibitions, galleries, and stuff. Did everything begin with drawing on a sheet
of paper in the 8th grade?
I started very early since around kindergarten drawing monsters, robots and
aliens. I was also very into Godzilla and old monster movies in grade school. Then
in middle school I was very into Dungeons and Dragons and Monster, Eerie, Epic
and Heavy Metal magazines, and artwork
from H.R. Giger, Frank Frazetta, and Boris Vallejo.
Let’s dig a bit into your hardcore projects. There was a group Die-Hard that turned into Integrity. How long have you been playing together, and do you keep in touch with these guys now?
Die- Hard was me on guitar, Aaron Melnick on bass, Dwid and then Stork
on vokills and Chubby Fresh on drums. We went on a small tour with Outface,
Derek Green from Sepultura’s old
Cleveland punk rock band. Then we recorded the album Looking Out For Number
One. We were only were together for a
year or two. I keep in touch with Aaron and recently hung out with Chubby Fresh
at a Slayer concert.
Let’s dig a bit into your hardcore projects. There was a group Die-Hard that turned into Integrity. How long have you been playing together, and do you keep in touch with these guys now?
Die- Hard was me on guitar, Aaron Melnick on bass, Dwid and then Stork
on vokills and Chubby Fresh on drums. We went on a small tour with Outface,
Derek Green from Sepultura’s old
Cleveland punk rock band. Then we recorded the album Looking Out For Number
One. We were only were together for a
year or two. I keep in touch with Aaron and recently hung out with Chubby Fresh
at a Slayer concert. Madman Mundt was a lot of fun and all of those guys were awesome musicians and friends. Mark D. died a couple years ago R.I.P. Me and John and Scott get together every once in a while to jam out some songs.
What do you think – how important is it to have a good punk/hardcore background to play some terrific sludge afterwards?
I’ve
recently bumped onto your work on the cover of a 2003 Russian group’s Rogatyiye
Trupoyedy album “Devki, Sex I Trupnuy Yad”. I was pleasantly
surprised, since I’ve missed this masterpiece then and now looking for the CD.
It was more than dozen years ago! Perhaps there wasn’t much commercial on your
side then. Who found whom and what impressions do you have from this
collaboration? 
Let’s proceed to the cream of society. Tell a little about your work with Fistula. Do you know why Corey changes band members so often?
Thank you, no we don’t really play out. We have an attic in the woods that we play and record in a couple miles south of Lake Erie. The woods are where the Mellon Heads are said to live. They are mutated carnivorous children with enlarged heads that escaped from a medical facility that was doing experiments on them. I have never seen one but I hear weird noises sometimes.
Where did you find Suzy with her charming voice?
Me and Suzy used to
burn each other cd’s. When she told me she loved Suicidal Tendencies and Slayer
I knew we had a great destiny together.
It
is such a pity that Morbid Wizard broke up. Guess there had to be one more
terrific album, hadn’t it?
Rumors had it
that Ultralord resurrected. Are people lying?
I have not heard any
rumors.
I think The Disease
Concept became a gulp of fresh air on the sludge stage. Bastard vocals and
trash reefs are a unique cocktail. I’m sure that having such a robust crew, there
are chances to go on tour to the old land. Did you have any offers?
I just did the
artwork for Disease Concept, I am not
really in the band. I asked if I could hang out in the studio with them for a
while because I wanted to meet Dave and Tommy two of my favorite guitar
players. I was a huge fan of Solace for years, and worship The Blood Farmers.
Permanent Brain Damage is one of my all-time favorite records.
«Pain Clinic» from
the all-star The Disease Concept was announced last year and there seems to be
stuff for the 4th album. Where and when can we wait for these surprises?
I am not sure but I
think it will be soon hopefully.
Among
contemporary bands in which you’re involved, can you highlight the principal
one, to which you’d like to devote yourself entirely?
Right now I am
working on things in phases that slowly alternate over time. Bibilic Blood and
then Morbid Wizard and Ancient Sickness.
Tell a bit about the story of Goat Skull Records that seem to be lying
entirely on your shoulders. When you launched it, what impacted you? What are
the plans for 2015?
Goat Skull Records
was something me and Corey always wanted to do to be able to put out our own
music and do whatever else we felt like.
We put all the cds out in a dvd case so it gives more room for the
artwork and they don’t shatter as easily in the mail. For 2015 we might only
release Bibilic Blood’s next cd Maximum Burn.
I try not to miss releases with your covers and buy them on CDs or
vinyl. How many other similar fetishists come to you to get your autograph at
the full discography?
I am always honored
that people like my art. There are so many good artists out there I am always
inspired by them.
Have you been thinking of launching
your series of comics, where, for example, Fistula’s texts would be played like
dialogues?
Yes that would be
very cool. I need to do more comic books, but with a good story or lyrics to
it.
Perhaps Mr. Wizard has another
dozen of little-known projects, about which we should know? For example, Blackwell. I have absolutely no idea what it is
about.
Blackwell was
hardcore band that was Me and Corey on guitars, bahb from Fistula on bass,
Larry Gargus on vokills and Jeremy on drums. We recorded an album that one song
came out on the Will To Fail comp. Some day if I manage to pull my head out of
my ass for long enough I will put the cd out on Goat Skull Records. It is very
good. Accept Death will also probably record some new songs this year.
Did you have
offers as an artist – like to draw a series of porters for a large festival,
such as Roadburn or Heavy Days in Doomtown? If not, what would you think about
such an idea?
No I never got too
much into doing flyers, I just try to stick with cds and album covers and
comics.
Thanks for the
fruitful conversation, Scott. Hope someday life will bring us together to meet
on a gig of one of your projects or in an art gallery, or in a coffee shop.
Take care! And tell
a couple of farewell words to the readers of Robust Blog.
Thanks for
interviewing me and keeping in contact over the years. I enjoy hearing from you
and reading the Robust Fellow.
Questions by PhillO))) & Alex Bilous
Questions by PhillO))) & Alex Bilous