only sound good, but should also have its own space in the mix. I mean, who decided that Thrash/Power Metal has to be this
fat, dense wall of sound, where at times it can be difficult to decipher what’s going on? Why can’t it be big sounding
instruments in an almost 3D mix? Also, I am a very firm believer in texture and layering inside a song, so there are things going
on that may not be immediately obvious on first listen.
ION: You released the cover of “Paint It Black” before you released the original song “Enemy at the Gate.” What was your
motivation to do that?
Falck: We recorded and released “Paint It Black” because I wanted people to know that we were for real, not just another
“social media,” i.e. Facebook band, and I also wanted to make it clear that, however selfish this sounds, this project is for me
to play music that I want to play and record, not music strictly dictated by my past. Everyone expected an OVERKILL type of
song, naturally, so I did something different and unexpected. I also felt that PIB lent itself to show people that just because
we are Metal Head musicians doesn’t mean that we can’t think outside of the box, and I think we accomplished that by doing
a version of that song very differently than pretty much any other Metal band has done prior, while still making it heavy.
ION: “Enemy at the Gate” is a very modern, heavy track. Do you draw inspiration from current Metal when thinking about new
music, or do you go back to classic stuff? What’s your philosophy with ideas for new music?
Falck: If it sounds modern, I think it is because of not only the way recording is done these days, but probably to a larger
degree, because of the infusion of the different musical backgrounds of the people involved in writing the song. To me, it
actually sounds like something that I would have been part of writing back in the late 80’s and 90’s. I used to describe our
writing as “an attempt to go back to when Power/Thrash Metal first started out, and to try and emulate the integrity and
intelligent song writing principles that guided us back then. I definitely do not draw inspiration from the “current” Metal bands,
if by that, you are referring to the slew of “radio safe metal” that has somewhat exploded in the last 5-6 years (laughs). To each
their own, for sure; I wish them continued success. It may be out there, but personally, I really haven’t heard any “new” band
since the likes of RAMMSTEIN and DISTURBED came onto the scene, that sounds remotely inspiring.
ION: Tell me about the recording of that song--when and where was it worked on, and how will this track lead to the full album,
“Last Rites”?
Falck: Actually, “Enemy at the Gate” was the first original song we recorded. It actually came out of one of the very first handful
of ideas Shawn threw at me, which I then took and butchered into what it is now. We probably recorded drum and main guitar
tracks for it in the early summer of ’14, and it had been sitting in the pile of songs that we have demoed and then been sitting
on while we continued writing. I feel that “Enemy at the Gate” is very representative of what we are about. It kind of is right
down the middle of our writing style wise. We have stuff that is leaning a little more towards Power/Thrash Metal with industrial
influences on one side, and on the other side of it, we have stuff that is out and out old school Thrash Metal, balls swinging at
245-250 bpm.
ION: What will the band’s plans be when the album is released…touring? Seeing how it is received?
Falck: Good question (laughs). Originally, I13 was strictly a recording project, for health reasons. I don’t see us doing a typical
8-10 month, 5 to 6 shows a week tour, playing wherever someone pays us enough. Now that we are more than halfway through
the song writing process, obviously the mind is toying with the idea of…mayyyybe we can do one or two special occasion
shows. We have obviously talked about it to an extent, playing the “what if” game, but nothing beyond that. I tell people,
regardless of what happens next, we need to keep writing, be cause without songs to play, talking about live shows is a moot
point (laughs). But, as you say, we’ll try and get this finished, then see if people even like it and go from there.
ION: Were you at all worried about how your fans from OVERKILL or BATTLEZONE days would take the new music?
Falck: Not really. I mean, it is always scary in a way, to step out on your own, especially after so many years away from the
public eye, and say, “Hey, Remember me?” I feel very confident, that if I stick to my ideals and co-write songs that stays inside
the parameters I have set for I13, then even if our material won’t send you running naked through the streets, screaming with