you still get excited or has it become a sort of routine for you?
It is only routine in the sense that we release a new album annually
(generally speaking). However, there is always an element of excitement in
the air with regard to each new release. When the thrill is gone, then
perhaps it's time to go. Fortunately, we have not reached that point.
When looking at the covert art one can notice that the word "No" is
crossed out - is that a hint to the future of PRO-PAIN? Hopefully not.
PRO-PAIN often uses the power of suggestion and the double edged sword when
it comes to titles and lyrics. We like to keep things a bit open to
interpretation because it induces and provokes thought and creativity on the
part of the listener. The phrase "No End In Sight" could relate to many
things (war, Pro-Pain, etc...). "End In Sight" could relate to many things
as well (End Times Philosophy, Pro-Pain, etc...). Upon reading the lyrics,
it should become a bit clearer as to where we are coming from with regard to
the album title.
How long did you work on the songs this time? In our last interview
you told me that you needed roughly 3 weeks to finish writing all new songs.
All of the riffs were written in March of this year, and we arranged all
of the songs during the first weekend in April. A 10 song-demo (with vocals) followed soon after, and then we began recording on April 25th. So, once we get a "vision" for the material, the rest comes naturally and quite fast once we put our minds to it.
Where did you meet to rehearse the new songs? How long did you
rehearse?
We never "rehearsed" the new material (in the traditional sense). JC
learned all of the basic drum parts from the demo, which was programmed. Then he incorporated his own parts, etc.... When the drums were ready for
recording, we went into Studio 13 in Deerfield Beach Florida with Jeremy
Staska (who did a great job). All of the remaining instrumentation (plus
the mix) was done at Tom Klimchuck's home studio (The Pickle Jar). So, no
band rehearsal involved at all.
How's meeting with the other guys in the band? As you're living all
across the US you won't see them often.
We are all living in Florida now, although JC and Marshall both reside on
the East Coast of Florida. Tom and I live approximately 3 1/2 hours away on
the West Coast of Florida. So, it's a bit easier to get together and
rehearse these days.....that's for sure.
Where did you record the album? Was it a smooth recording session?
Everything was recorded dwon here in Florida. Drums at Studio 13 in
Deerfield Beach with Jeremy Staska at the controls, and all of the rest at
The Pickle Jar (Tom's place) in North Port Florida. The recording went
very smooth from top to bottom. There are always a few bumps and hurdles
along the way, but that's very normal when it comes to making a record. We've been recording our own albums for over 10 years now, so we have a very good work ethic in the studio and we know how to get good sounds from a remarkably modest amount of equipment. Less is more.
Stephan Weidner and Rob Barret made guest appearances. Did they
actually come to the studio or did they send in their parts via the
internet?
Rob Barrett lives in Tampa, which is only 1 1/2 hours from the studio. So,
he came down for an afternoon and played a really cool lead on a track
called "Phoenix Rising". With Stephan, it was done via the internet
because he was "in session" at the time with another band in his studio in
Frankfurt. Both of them did a fantastic job, and we couldn't have asked for
anything better in the way of special guest appearances.
You had a close connection with Stephans old band - do you know his
new projects? Do you like it?
If you mean "Der-W", then yes. JC, Tom, and I contributed and played on
most of the songs on Stephan's solo album "Schneller Hoher Weidner". It was
a great opportunity for us, and it was a fun project to be involved with as
well. I think it's a GREAT album. One of my absolute favorites.
How did you come to ask Rob for a guest appearance?
We've known Rob for some time now, as we've played quite a few gigs together
in the past. Also, JC and Rob are very close and old friends. So, the
collaboration came about very naturally and easily. Rob is a great guy, and
he did a fine job for us on our new album.
The lyrics on the last album had been very political ones, what's
with the lyrics on the new one?
Yes, „Age Of Tyranny“ was a very politically charged album. Perhaps it is the
most political in our entire catalog. Considering that „Age Of Tyranny“ was
released just a year ago, and considering that the overall political
landscape and sentiment have not changed all that much..........I think it
would have been a mistake to write another „Age Of Tyranny“ at this time
(lyrically speaking). I'm not suggesting that "No End In Sight" is not at
all political, but it is very different from it's predecessor in many ways. In this new age of information in which we live, the truth is unfolding by
the minute, and right before our eyes. We know that the world is in very
bad shape, and many of us have come to find out why. "No End In Sight" asks
the question: What are we going to do about it?
A couple of songs on the new album have interesting new ideas (like
"The Fight Goes On") - who brought them up during the songwriting?
It is safe to say the „No End In Sight“ is our most artistically diverse album
to date. Tom Klimchuck is the main music writer this time around, and
perhaps that is the reason why it stands out from the rest..........as I had
written most of the music on the other PRO-PAIN releases. Marshall and JC
wrote some riffs as well. We wanted to shoot for something totally unique,
but at the same time, we wanted to retain our signature sound. I think we
succeeded in spades, and we hope that our fans will enjoy "No End In Sight"
as much as we do.
Which song is your personal favorite on the new record?
I don't really have a single stand out favorite on this one. I like most of
the songs equally, and for different reasons. Some of my faves are „Where We
Stand“, „Hour Of The Time“, „Halo“, and „All Rise“.
"No End In Sight" clocks in at 40 minutes, while other bands barely
manage to reach the 30-minutes-mark. Do you have any idea why this is the
case? Don't those bands have enough ideas or do they suffer from time
constraints due to heavy touring?
I'm not exactly sure why that is. It is a bit cliche for hardcore bands to
release albums under 30 minutes, and the standard live hardcore performance
is generally under 40 minutes. Our live set is approx. 1 1/2 hours these
days, and most of our albums are over 40 minutes in length. To each his
own, I guess.....but we do like to give our fans their money's worth at all
times.
You'll tour europe soon, supported by two relatively unknown bands,
which you seem to do so on every tour (picking underground bands as your
support). Why don't you team up with another big player for a double
headliner tour?
hmmmmm....I guess it depends how you look at it. Bands like LIFE OF AGONY, EKTOMORF, DISBELIEF, etc.....were all relatively unknown when they
supported PRO-PAIN on tour. We just like to take good bands along with us,
regardless of their popularity at the time. If bands like us did not give
them a chance, then it would be almost impossible for those bands to reach
the next level. We are never opposed to a double or triple headliner
either, like the 2005 US Prophets Of Doom Tour with ENTOMBED and CROWBAR. We just go with whatever makes the most sense at any given point in time.
What do you expect from the tour? Do you still enjoy touring after
the thousands of shows played? Do you fall prey to the "sex, drugs and
rock'n'roll"-cliche of touring?
I expect a good, solid, and fun tour. It's a bit of a long tour for us
these days, so it will come with it's share of challenges I'm sure. However, our rehearsals are off to a good start and everyone is looking
forward to the gigs and especially playing some new songs for the fans. There are quite a few vintage PRO-PAIN tunes in the set as well. As for the latter part of your question: The last thing that we want to be is a parody or rock n' roll cliche. I don't think we'd have lasted this
long if we fell victim to our vices.....whatever they may be.
And some final words?
To the readers and fans: Thanks for the years. Our new album "No End In
Sight" will be released on August 22nd. We hope you all check it out and
enjoy it. See y'all on the road.
For tour dates and info. log onto http://www.pro-pain.com or go to
http://www.myspace.com/propainspace.
Thanks Lars!
