Ted Aguilar of Death Angel - Thrash Tales, Big4 Encounters & Future Plans

[00:00:00] Today we have the honour of sitting down with the legendary Ted Egealer known for his electrifying guitar skills as a member of the iconic Bay Area Trash Band, Death Angel.

[00:00:30] The first metal scene and the profound impact they have had on the genre, discover the influences that have shaped Ted's own distinctive style and gain fascinating insights into his early days as a musician and the experience of performing all around the world.

[00:00:43] We will also dive into Ted's perspectives on the ever-changing landscape of technology in the music industry today and how it has influenced the creation and conservation of metal music.

[00:00:54] Prepare to be most in the world of Ted Egealer and Death Angel as we uncover the details, triumphs and trials on Tales from the Road.

[00:01:00] Okay, yeah I thought I was going to hit traffic because that was actually me and Rob Cavastani were out jamming with Rob Flayton some of the guys in Machine Head for some jams this Friday.

[00:01:12] Rob Flayn's birthday and he's having this electric happy hour birthday jam in the S-mean Rob coming all the same kind of play some songs and we were just rehearsing I go dude I gotta go.

[00:01:23] I remember I shot your set at Hellsfest a couple of years.

[00:01:27] In 2019? Yeah yeah yeah yeah we went on it.

[00:01:32] Yeah yeah yeah it was like a jeez.

[00:01:35] It was a hot day. It was a hot day. I was actually hoping I'd get to see you guys you know in a smaller slightly more intimate stage, nice lights and all of that.

[00:01:48] Yeah you guys went on middle of the afternoon I think it was a Sunday.

[00:01:52] Yeah man that's only I mean the festivals are great. They're giving me wrong. I love playing them. It's fun.

[00:01:56] You get to see all the other bands that you get to play with it's like a summer camp but you know when they tell you okay you're going on at this time of me like.

[00:02:04] I probably prefer to go on later in the afternoon and yeah lights and you know.

[00:02:11] Yeah yeah yeah. I guess you get what they give you.

[00:02:15] Yeah absolutely. For me always you know death angel from the early days I've been listening to sort of metal music for 35 years.

[00:02:23] There's always been one of my favorite bands.

[00:02:27] You know like I said I was super excited when I heard you guys were coming to Asia.

[00:02:31] Tell me a little bit about the tour I know you were you've done sort of first half of the year you've been in the US.

[00:02:38] Is this a sort of continuation of the 2020 tour it's the the bass strikes back right?

[00:02:44] It is actually I mean we already did the bass strikes back in Europe. We did two rounds in the States and I think we're done you know with those territories

[00:02:52] and the offer came up to do Manila in Japan. Why not you know this package hasn't been to those countries so we decided you know all of us were free decided to go out there

[00:03:02] and I'm pretty sure we'll probably hit other countries with this lineup you know Australia and South America but that's left to be determined

[00:03:08] but we're excited to get to the Philippines and you know Japan Japan is always great but Philippines you know have a you know

[00:03:16] it's the motherland for me so yeah yeah we played there this is gonna be our fifth time playing there and recently I was just there on vacation

[00:03:24] so I'm really really we're really looking forward to it.

[00:03:27] Amazing what's the what is the response like what what are the audios is like

[00:03:33] for this genre of music in the Philippines or in worldwide? Just just worldwide.

[00:03:40] It varies per country you know some countries are for example Latin and South America the last time we were in South America they're very very loud and passionate

[00:03:51] just like you know if you were gonna watch the football game or if you if you're an American soccer. Yeah yeah it's like that you know then you get to Europe it's depending on what part of the continent you're in each countries are different

[00:04:05] the Spanish country Spain is really loud Germany you know it's funny with Germany some cities they've washed it crazy some of some cities they just fist bang and some cities are just there you know just enjoying the show

[00:04:19] well it all depends on certain cities and countries really they're all the reactions but they're all really good reactions.

[00:04:27] Yeah and you guys go back into Europe second half of the year with sacred right yeah sacred right

[00:04:34] you know and there's an opening band I just don't know how to say their name. I was hoping you would say they name and I didn't have to I know that a Spanish so trash battle band. Yeah up and coming we actually I saw them at dynamo fast lasts year last summer because we played the

[00:04:50] dynamo fast and they were really really good so I mean it's a it's a three band package it's good it's only a short run in Europe like three weeks. I mean us take a right call

[00:04:59] headlining their opening and really looking forward to it really yeah that would be amazing that'll be amazing but you know how do you how does how

[00:05:10] this line up come together is that is this sort of you guys ever think about touring with bands outside of your genre as well. We always think about that and we're talking about it now as we speak

[00:05:26] with management and booking agents I don't know the last time we actually stepped out there was a couple of tours where we did step out of our genre we in 2014 we did a tour in North America

[00:05:39] supporting children of both of them. I mean yeah still say metal but they're more of the Scandinavian types like death metal genre which that tour went really well and another

[00:05:53] tour we did was it was a mix match of bands it was a double driver death angel wings of plague the agonists and has real from Australia it was really weird.

[00:06:07] I mean we want to it's it's hard I don't know and it seems like nowadays from our perspective or my perspective it seems like when you throw thrash bands together it just seems to go well yeah yeah very simple so you throw a

[00:06:23] thrash band would maybe a band like if you throw us in a lamb of God for some reason people think it doesn't go well but when you know we played we played in Poland with our

[00:06:37] Chanime and that went well I guess I guess it depends on the territory politics I absolutely we are we're trying but it'd be nice you know we talk about we want to go out with bands like

[00:06:48] Gojira Mastodrop you know maybe even step out of box even further or volby yeah but it'd be great just to reach out to different fans because the thrash

[00:07:02] fans says you know it's a lot of them but you know we want to we want our music to be heard beyond yeah yeah I think that's yeah that's probably the

[00:07:11] primary reason right so sort of get new audiences into you know spread your music outside thrash itself yeah but you know I'll do that

[00:07:20] I've learned a good game but sometimes like people they want you we want to do that but people don't fans that watch it that because they're like I don't

[00:07:29] want to see you if you're playing with them of course you know we'll see you when you've come around with you know

[00:07:36] testament or something nothing against them but you know the people just feel comfortable yeah that's it

[00:07:41] Rashman yeah you know talking of Gojira there's an Indian band called bloody wood I don't like it part of it oh no

[00:07:48] no I haven't I haven't I heard of a band we played the few shows from India cryptos yeah great guys great

[00:07:55] guys in good band two we a few years ago we did some show them in New York yeah yeah amazing amazing band

[00:08:01] and they're sort of they tour a lot yeah they do they do that's good for there yeah yeah but you know

[00:08:10] Indian metal is sort of there are more bands that are on tour there's another band called Amar Fiya that's

[00:08:16] playing Japan actually the same dates as you guys wow from India from India yeah yeah thrash metal band

[00:08:23] from India awesome solid you know old school sort of thrash metal but tell me uh dead is there a new

[00:08:31] death angel album in the world yes slowly working on it I mean you know I'll say you know we have some

[00:08:39] skeleton you know yeah they still got it worked on you know there's stuff there we just got to

[00:08:46] work on on more and write more but you know of course there's gonna be a new death a death into

[00:08:50] album but you know when you know don't know I don't want to say it's gonna be next year because you

[00:08:56] can't really take the future I could tell you we're gonna record in April but something might come up

[00:09:02] where we go oh that's a good tour we might as well just hold off you know until we're kind of

[00:09:08] definite and there's a date lock we have no activity we're going in at this time yeah I could

[00:09:13] tell you a set date but yeah there will be a new record we just don't know when we're gonna

[00:09:18] start recording and we do have some songs but we want to write some more but they're all in the

[00:09:22] impancy stages yeah yeah and you guys tour our lock as well right yeah yeah we you know ever since

[00:09:29] post-COVID we did some touring and you know things have changed so we have some stuff till the end

[00:09:35] of the year and we don't know what's going on for next year so we want to you know right now we

[00:09:40] want to get as much touring because I don't think our latest album in humanicide didn't get

[00:09:44] enough touring behind it we want to do more of it write music and record but we'll see what happens

[00:09:49] you can't predict the future yeah but are you surprised in a sense that you know sort of

[00:09:56] party years later we're still here talking about trash metal and just sort of the genre is flying

[00:10:03] high so to speak yeah you know I mean I remember you know because I grew up in the 80s you know I was

[00:10:09] a late bloomer I mean I know a lot of of course death angels started in 82 a lot of bands started

[00:10:14] in that early era and I jumped into the scene around 86 you know and it had a good round in it

[00:10:23] of course as you know it stopped the whole 90s death metal emerge did a huge thing the grunge

[00:10:28] everyone talks about grunge but you know people forget there was death metal that was pretty big

[00:10:33] then of course late 90s 2000s came and the new metal and then of course the slipknotts

[00:10:39] all that stuff and it came around but you know it seems like every decade there's a cycle so

[00:10:45] you know but it seems to be happening all the time I heard you guys making it back you know who knows

[00:10:53] grunge might make a big comeback a lot of genres might are making comebacks but it seems to happen

[00:10:59] in 10 years cycles or what it's that that trash metal is still alive it's probably bigger than it ever was

[00:11:05] and the good thing you know for ash metals it's not for everyone but I'm glad it's there it's

[00:11:11] getting the recognition it you know didn't uh it deserved I mean they got there's a big fort

[00:11:19] I got recognized back in the day you know of course and they're still huge but us testament and all

[00:11:25] that seemed to be you know have a wider audience than it has back then I think yeah do you do

[00:11:30] ever think about that the whole big four or big five or big six whatever never I don't I got tired

[00:11:35] of it I mean every you know I could tell you do it with the big four I get it it's it's based on

[00:11:41] sales there they older on major labels yeah they're the big four but I don't think about big five

[00:11:46] and all that you know we've got other things to worry about let's just get some music get some

[00:11:51] touring and try to you know keep our band going I don't worry about labels like that yeah but what's

[00:11:57] the what is the music scene like today obviously in the 80s there were lots of places to play and

[00:12:02] things like that in San Francisco itself what is the what is the trash metal scene like today

[00:12:08] it's different it's definitely not the 80s of course the 80s I'm glad we lived it but

[00:12:14] that whole era has never happening again because you know it's just a different time

[00:12:19] but there's a lot of good bands coming out right now there's a lot of good bands playing

[00:12:23] in San Francisco I mean our drummer will carol he would know more about it he lives in San Francisco

[00:12:28] and he he DJs a lot of clubs and he DJs a lot of shows but I mean there's some clubs not as much

[00:12:34] as it used to be but you know the scene is it's it's happening but it's just different

[00:12:40] that's all yeah except I think about that and I'm sure there's a positive you know sort of silver

[00:12:47] lining in all of it yes it's while it's not what it was for years about obviously I'm guessing

[00:12:53] the silver lining and I'm sure there are bands coming out you know and there's sort of streaming

[00:12:59] black forms and things like that way you could get your music up yeah I mean the internet

[00:13:05] change a lot of things you know for the good for better or for good you know yeah yeah I think

[00:13:11] the internet is great to discover new bands of course you know a lot of people will complain like

[00:13:16] oh I missed my magazines and all that but you know people complain like you know what you could

[00:13:21] just listen music if you don't like it stop it I mean it's just how you use it yeah you know I think

[00:13:26] that's great you could we're zooming now you know yeah we had this back then pre internet we long

[00:13:32] distance phone call would cost a lot of money we got to you know yeah so I think you know the

[00:13:39] internet's awesome yeah this again it's just how you use it yeah but I think even back in the day

[00:13:45] I think one of the amazing things was that you know every country you know even as far back as

[00:13:50] the eighties every country had their own sort of metal scene and I think sort of tape trading

[00:13:56] was a big thing back then right I think a lot of it got around trading dips and demos and things

[00:14:00] like that yeah I mean tape trade I mean tape trading was awesome I I traded to there was just

[00:14:09] something about that error that only probably you or I and everyone else in our age will understand

[00:14:15] of like oh because we live through that 80s thing of tape trading and it's like just something about

[00:14:20] it were today don't understand like you have to write them and you were waiting for that tape you

[00:14:26] know that anticipation of wait and that whole thing you waited so long and you finally get it you

[00:14:31] appreciate it and you play it and you know even though it's okay you still play it and you still hold

[00:14:37] onto it but now it's our scene was built off tape trading you know yeah everyone was just making

[00:14:43] tapes and sending it to each other but the difference was during that time you know the 80 even late

[00:14:50] 70s 80s the whole 80s everybody I was talking about this with somebody everybody every genre not only

[00:14:58] metal new wave rock and roll soul and all that everyone hung out at record stores yeah even though

[00:15:06] the tape were a dub tape of an album that came out early you'll still go play the record if I mean

[00:15:15] a different time do I missed it in a way but never coming back so I gotta think about now moving

[00:15:21] forward yeah but tell me Ted like back in the day I'm sure you used to go to lots of shows right

[00:15:26] I think artists upcoming artists supporting each other was a big thing back then everybody went

[00:15:32] to each other shows do you still get time to go to other band shows or upcoming trash at the band

[00:15:37] shows and things I do my best if I'm a home and if it's a band I really want to see I'll go out but

[00:15:42] there's so many shows it's hard to get out when I mean we're not spring chickens some more I mean

[00:15:48] we're not like you know young you know living at your parents no responsibility whatsoever

[00:15:54] you can just go out into the wee hours of the night just hang out you know we're older now we

[00:15:58] you know we have responsibilities we have more you just to pay so and I get a chance when I can

[00:16:04] like the other was it last last Thursday I wanted to see havoc that band havoc and talk to

[00:16:09] Holocaust they came to town same night as overkill some of us went to overkill and I went to

[00:16:14] havoc and you know all these new bands like havoc talks to Holocaust and great bands man they're

[00:16:20] really you know coming at and kicking ass so yeah but like you're saying I think the internet's

[00:16:28] also work uh instead of bridging the divide between subcultures right yeah there's possibly more

[00:16:35] collaboration than things like that yeah for example even the health fest I mean it's a that

[00:16:42] festival is a mix of so many genres where people will go and just enjoy the music I mean

[00:16:48] the festival is oh well that that time we play I think was it Leonard Skinner and Tafi'at

[00:16:54] and yeah you know same day it's us like I mean I don't think you could do that here in America because

[00:16:59] you put a thrash band there everyone but over there like oh that's diversity where people enjoy

[00:17:04] where you know also Leonard Skinner then well with this death angel or who's this band they'll at

[00:17:09] least give it an open air to check out and uh you know with those festivals you know a lot of people

[00:17:15] from a lot of countries come so it's like a good you know I've talked to a lot of people oh I met

[00:17:21] so and so from this country this is that we met and we have the same thing in common and now they're

[00:17:26] friends and they keep in touch or they bet at each other I think that's awesome you know yeah I

[00:17:30] think there's like 300 different countries so I hope you get on right yes especially I think

[00:17:37] how you have metal music just it it reaches you know it I think it's one of the genres that

[00:17:43] that could reach beyond like other countries I mean like a testament played to Buck 2 not that long

[00:17:51] ago people who go to like of course not that many people go to India but a lot of metal bands go

[00:17:58] to India I think Iron Maiden kind of opened up that door for other bands to go there you have your

[00:18:04] own festival and yeah all these things are certain half festivals because metal is just you know

[00:18:09] we never thought there's fans out these countries we just thought it's just Europe you know the

[00:18:13] main that the main country is like Europe uh North America uh Japan Australia that's it and but yeah

[00:18:20] you hear about South America India oh we played while in Lampur we played Singapore just amazing to

[00:18:26] see all these you know metal fans out in these countries and you're able to go there because

[00:18:31] people heard of you it's just it's it's a great feeling yeah yeah India like I said India's got a

[00:18:36] big metal scene Africa has got a huge underground metal scene as well yeah I mean like I said we

[00:18:44] love to go to those countries but you know it's just it's so far out and getting out there the logistics

[00:18:49] and all the financial stuff and yeah you know I mean I'm pretty sure it could happen I mean if

[00:18:55] Iron Maiden could get out there you know I know I know yeah but the huge band yeah but during this

[00:19:05] change substantially right for I mean it's a lot more expensive now but yeah it is I mean it's

[00:19:11] just like with any other industry you know prices go up but your salaries stay the same you know

[00:19:16] hey yeah they do double the work or it's no different than any other industry it is very expensive

[00:19:23] it sucks but you know we have you know just everyone's on the same boat we every band does their

[00:19:31] thing different so for us we're just trying and the way how could we still tour with prices going

[00:19:36] up and still be able to make it work financially it's a lot of thinking a lot of yeah a lot of moving

[00:19:44] parts you have to deal with so I mean every year changes all the time so you got to figure out new

[00:19:49] strategies and like oh well we what we did last year we can't do it this year because the landscape

[00:19:54] is totally different yeah but but you know one of the things I keep telling people is the the best way

[00:20:00] to support the band that you like or love is to go out to their shows and buy them much and things

[00:20:05] like that because I mean yeah streaming being streaming everything it's just nothing that

[00:20:11] yeah I mean there's there's ways I've been thinking about this for a long time because like I said

[00:20:15] earlier things change all the time like you know with the social media platform like Instagram Twitter

[00:20:21] we'll talk and Facebook it's uh I think you have to do more engaging on those social platforms so

[00:20:28] the algorithms read it and you know the more engaging fans fans does they keep feeding them stuff

[00:20:35] you know I mean yeah so but the best way would be to share anything we do anytime a band does

[00:20:41] something share it engage that kind of gets the word out really fast because sometimes people who

[00:20:48] follow us their friends don't normally follow us so if they keep sharing and sharing people go

[00:20:52] well let me check this out and they see it no okay you know a word of mouth kind of like the digital

[00:20:56] word about yeah yeah that helps you know I mean streaming helps everything you do helps yeah we'll take it

[00:21:05] yeah do you sort of manage the band's socials as well uh me and we're off we do our best to try to

[00:21:12] put some content up it's sometimes it's pretty hard when you're off the road when you're on the road

[00:21:17] it's easier but when you're off the road you just trying to figure out you know what kind of content

[00:21:21] can we put up there that are fans like it's hard you can't usually try to put the same thing over and

[00:21:25] over so you got to get creative there's a lot of bands there's a lot of bands who do that really well

[00:21:32] maybe because they have their own person but when you you know when you can't really afford to have

[00:21:37] your own person you kind of do it yourself but you know it's hard to us you know we're trying

[00:21:42] to figure it out here if the new way of like doing things but you know what we're doing at it goes

[00:21:50] yeah I remember a couple of years ago on YouTube I think Rob and you can put up a playthrough of

[00:21:56] one of the songs on the humanist side album yeah I must have watched that like a thousand times myself

[00:22:02] oh thank you watch it all like that it's cool but we had some like before as you managed I came out

[00:22:08] we had somebody from the label hey let's do this let's do that they came out they did it but they

[00:22:12] came out great but then yeah no help in you yeah we have this idea but we don't have the equipment

[00:22:18] you know like but sometimes just doing it rambles style like punk rock just get your iPhone film and do

[00:22:25] whatever edit you think it's great you know as long as it's content yeah yeah yeah no I hopefully

[00:22:32] when I come to California the next year I hopefully do something for you guys that'll be

[00:22:37] awesome man awesome yeah I don't know what our schedule is like next year if you're here we're here

[00:22:42] well hang out yeah yeah absolutely that'll be it dad I want to ask you a little bit about

[00:22:47] celebrating in death angel do you is it like a collaborative thing how do you guys write

[00:22:53] and what's the sort of equation with uh rob and you uh well when it comes down to writing it's

[00:23:00] it's all Rob it's all Rob he it's it starts with him he comes up with a basic structure

[00:23:06] and him and we'll get together and they hash it all out and they record it and when they get it to

[00:23:11] a point where oh yeah this is great then they send it off to everyone else and Damien does his parts

[00:23:17] and Mark will listen to it and try to you know write lyrics and melodies and I'll listen to it and

[00:23:21] I'll touch the base of bro what do you want me to do here do you want me to play something here or

[00:23:25] do you want me to do something different you know because you know Rob has a vision and you kind

[00:23:29] of want to see his vision and as soon as the song comes together two words that we play it quite a

[00:23:35] few times then we can throw in our ideas like hey maybe that part should go longer you know or

[00:23:41] maybe cut that out or we'll go I want to do something different here instead so you know Rob has a

[00:23:46] vision we listen we play along with it then if we feel like there needs to be changes we express

[00:23:53] our concern and Rob is really good at yeah let's give it a try so we try everything and it comes

[00:24:00] down to all right this is what works so it starts with Rob and with regarding the lyrics there's

[00:24:07] a you know every now and then Rob will pick out a song I want to write lyrics for the song and

[00:24:11] Mark goes go ahead but Mark writes all the lyrics and what he does is with the music who'll listen

[00:24:15] to it over and over by himself I don't know where he goes he goes into the far corners of the earth

[00:24:21] by himself with the headphones and music and it'll come up with so many types of different melodies

[00:24:27] stuff and then come up with the ones he's happy with and lay it down you know on the demo form

[00:24:33] then when we get into the real studio then things start to evolve because we played it so many times

[00:24:38] or we listened to it so many times that when we get in there we go all right let's try this it's always

[00:24:44] evolving to the point where it's handing it in to get mastered yeah yeah yeah it's some songs they

[00:24:52] kind of the same for what it was you know the end but we just put more energy into it some songs

[00:24:56] have been rewritten quite a few times so it differs yeah it's a songwriter and on the last stop

[00:25:04] on my wrote one song and yeah it's a how it is and right now I'm writing some stuff and how it

[00:25:12] goes is I'll write some stuff I'll send it to Rob I'll I'll always tell him if it's good use it if not

[00:25:18] if you find parts are good use it if it's not good it's okay dude I'm just you know throwing some

[00:25:24] stuff out there because he knows what the death angel sound should be yeah and it likes it use it if

[00:25:29] he doesn't my feelings are not broken yeah but do you get involved on the production side of things as

[00:25:35] well no Rob Rob's all when it comes to the music when writing and all that production Rob is there

[00:25:41] from the very start of when the drums start all the way until it's when we get the album back

[00:25:50] from the mastering so he is there every way that's it's thing he loves it he's into it he's good at

[00:25:57] it he's been doing it since the ultraviolence yeah I'm not gonna you know I mean so yeah yeah but

[00:26:03] he does uh get opinions from everyone because sometimes your ears could get burnt from listening to

[00:26:09] that over and over and I'm a brown humanity I went over to a sausage oh you want to listen

[00:26:14] to some mixes like yeah I listened to it I go so I have fresh ears yeah I haven't heard anything

[00:26:20] could Rob listen to it constantly and I was listening to it and I go this need to go up maybe

[00:26:25] could it sounds too loud here bring this down Rob was okay let's try that and it you know

[00:26:30] yeah so he gets second opinion you know but majority of it is all Rob is there a danger of sort of

[00:26:36] overproducing we have so much access to so much technology these days right is there a danger of

[00:26:42] sort of wanting to tweak something to look at it absolutely right or you know letting

[00:26:47] their feeling a certain organic element that that's a good question I mean that could be answered

[00:26:53] so many ways and I guess it depends on who you talk to yeah um there's bands out there who we love

[00:26:59] doing it the old school way where they play alive and maybe just over double few things and some

[00:27:03] people just like it you know very mechanical less organic but I think with today's technology

[00:27:13] you could get a record done so much faster and with you know the industry changing and you know

[00:27:19] record labels not giving the big budgets as they used to they're giving really small budgets people

[00:27:24] could record their stuff at home they learn how to do this to make it sound good and um

[00:27:30] you know back then everything was done on two-inch tape you know people had the money back then you

[00:27:36] could spend a month sitting the studios there was money getting thrown at you and there was just

[00:27:42] something about that vibe now it's like you know a lot of world or not a lot of people live in

[00:27:46] different parts of the countries they could record their parts at home send it produce their tweaks

[00:27:50] it it's just a different time but yeah technology that's good about it the bad thing about it is

[00:27:57] yeah it could sound a bit sterile and less human so pros and cons to everything man pros and

[00:28:04] yeah I guess the danger is it doesn't sound music the linole maybe yeah but I guess this day

[00:28:12] and age that's what people are used to you know that if you try to revert to the old way then

[00:28:19] it's so foreign to them you know but for us we're like oh that's cool they did a old school

[00:28:24] love it but the people of today you know they probably go on they need to be very on the grid tight

[00:28:31] this and that where we grew up on of course you know the iron maiden is a Judas Priester something about

[00:28:36] that vibe where it's loose yeah you know there was a mistake but it was a mistake that that work

[00:28:43] you know I mean where you go oh I can go fix it or I can't replicate it so leave it but

[00:28:51] it's just a different time but with technology it's uh I think it's all due to the fact that people

[00:28:57] learn how do these things underarm and they could be the armatures and whatnot and you know

[00:29:03] the safety of money instead of going to big studios and whatnot yeah has it made it has it made it

[00:29:10] then sort of easier to be a musician uh just because there's all this tech and there are all

[00:29:16] these hacks on YouTube and things like that have the line sort of blurred wow um

[00:29:27] when it comes to learning songs and you don't have time to sit there and actually learn

[00:29:31] it which she should to train your ear there's people out on YouTube man you can go look

[00:29:37] oh like all methods a couple of death angels songs I had to relearn and I totally forgot

[00:29:42] and I looked on YouTube and oh there it is you know I mean that helps and you know

[00:29:48] is it easier to become a musician um it's I think there's so many musicians nowadays more than ever

[00:29:57] growing up you know is this a musician seem like a unique thing

[00:30:01] play guitar or plays in the band now everyone's playing in the band or plays in an instrument or

[00:30:06] something yeah it's it's it's great you know it's like it's good to see people into music but

[00:30:11] it's just it's just the whole market flooded with bands and you know musicians that sometimes

[00:30:17] it's really hard to find a good band because you're you got to rummage through all these

[00:30:23] records or CDs or you know when you're streaming you kind of like it's hard to find new music

[00:30:28] and I have find new music usually if it's like my wife's a big Spotify fan so she just put it on

[00:30:34] shuffle and I'll listen to it and I go oh who's this and I look at it and I'll look them up and

[00:30:40] that's how I discover new music or somebody goes do you have to really hear this band or hear this artist

[00:30:45] I think you'll like them so I trust their judgment but those days are like I'm gonna go to record

[00:30:49] store and just figure out what it's over you know I mean I'm sure there's people out there who do

[00:30:55] it but it's not as big as it used to so yeah I discovered music from word of mouth from people

[00:31:02] I trust and respect and that's how you know and through the internet or some people

[00:31:10] put like hey you got here to spend who's that checking out because there's consumers Spotify is great

[00:31:17] it's a great tool to discover new music and new bands very it's like very much but as an artist

[00:31:23] like you said there's just so many musicians out there then sort of get making yourself hard

[00:31:28] it's a big challenge as an artist right on on these black faults it is and you know I've talked to

[00:31:34] people where they go we did this we did that and some people go no we did this or some people just

[00:31:39] get lucky they just put music up because they want to have it and just somebody happened to run into

[00:31:43] it and made it big or there some people really have to grind and you know put a lot of content

[00:31:50] out there talk about their music and you know talk to people could you put on playlist or

[00:31:55] there's so many things you can do it's hard but if you put in the time you could do it because

[00:32:00] basically you're all you know independent artists you're kind of like your own record label yeah

[00:32:05] exactly yeah yeah yeah all right now that I got this music how do I market it or before like okay

[00:32:11] here's the music you just go out and play in everyone you know the record label had their own marketing

[00:32:15] department or own PR people they did it all now bands could do it themselves it's just a little more

[00:32:20] work on you but I think you know I talk into a lot of the younger bands to do it they love it

[00:32:26] because this is what they grew up on they grew up on the internet age and yeah we got to

[00:32:29] we gotta do that were not a lot of the legacy bands you know some transition good or some you know

[00:32:38] there we get successful at it where they hire someone to do it but for us it's like it's new

[00:32:43] and we're still like I mentioned earlier we're still trying to learn it and like I said every time

[00:32:47] you learn something something changes oh you gotta do this so it's a new thing or this is a

[00:32:50] new thing you're like man I'm just learning what I learned four steps ago now there's

[00:32:55] four steps ahead it just drives to crazy yeah that's a big challenge right yeah but what

[00:33:01] does your view on the whole using amps simulators and things like that I think me and Rob and

[00:33:11] Damon we still use real amps when we tore Europe or when we tore North America and a

[00:33:16] tour bus and whatnot we love to use the real amps in the cabs because that's who we are but we're

[00:33:22] also dot you know oblivious to technology nowadays I mean the amps sims like for example the cameras

[00:33:29] the quad cortex we will use them but it's just how you use them like for us oh yeah we still

[00:33:35] love the amps we'll use it on tour but when we have to for example if we had to go oh we gotta

[00:33:40] well then we'll bring one of these guitar sims and that we play with and we'll figure it out when

[00:33:45] we get there instead of having to bring your heavy amp I want to use my amp or you could use a

[00:33:50] a guitar simulator and go well I could get a sound just like my amp here and I can use it everywhere

[00:33:55] else so you know we use it that way yeah it's a great technology man and it's a great technology

[00:34:02] play that I have campers I have quad cortex they're all great and you know I'm looking forward to

[00:34:06] using them when we go I'm gonna be using them when I go to Japan and the Philippines yeah

[00:34:10] but in your back figure it out you know yeah because it will change the economics of a show

[00:34:17] of a gig itself right if the audience doesn't care whether you're playing through you know like you

[00:34:23] said regular speakers are already playing through us an amps sim I think that there's potential for

[00:34:29] the economics itself to change it um it could be it could be I mean I mean there's people out there

[00:34:36] when we play they always ask are you using a real amp or are you using guitar sim so we tell them

[00:34:40] and we still use cat you know speaker cabs I mean there's a lot of bands out there who just

[00:34:44] uses a guitar sim and any of this and they don't have all that stuff so you can't really tell what

[00:34:49] they're doing but you know we still keep the old school feel in the look of like using amps and

[00:34:55] the speakers you know we will always do that even if we do amps sims if we have to for example fly

[00:35:00] out to India do you have any music cabs or do you have any martial cabs we still like that look

[00:35:04] and we're gonna use it but we'll have the amp sim in the in the background to get our sound

[00:35:10] yeah yeah but you know coming back to sort of death angel and playing live do you have a favorite song

[00:35:15] that you like to play live uh also what is the most challenging song you find what took play live wow

[00:35:24] that's a really good question because uh favorite song to play live changes per poor you know I mean

[00:35:30] depending on my mood or how this I have to look at the set list when we play the set list how it flows

[00:35:37] and the last tour the last couple tours the mall have been my favorite it has been my favorite to

[00:35:44] play live seven about it like I guess where it's a great song and especially what where it sits in

[00:35:50] the set it's like or does the an and you're already kind of warmed up they're like loose you like

[00:35:55] alright because that is a do you know that's a tricky song to play um the hardest song would be

[00:36:00] play we only played it once live and it's recorded and it's on the bass tracks the bay the bay calls for

[00:36:09] blood uh the song called territorial instinct it's the last song of dream calls for blood to me at

[00:36:16] the hardest song to play oh wait not only that hmm this song off the evil divide cost for alarm

[00:36:23] the second track oh yeah we only play that like couple songs that's way way too hard to play the

[00:36:31] riff the solos it's hard to play but I'm glad we recorded it it's a great song but I don't know if

[00:36:37] we'll ever play that live it's a hard song man yeah but uh definitely did are you trained music

[00:36:44] do you study music right now not whatsoever everything's by ear or just I have this thing of just

[00:36:51] I could pick up something pretty good you know if I had to learn something I could kind of pick it

[00:36:56] up but if I watch somebody oh that's how you do it I could pick it up from there when I come

[00:37:02] to learn songs I'll listen to it over and over especially if I like it I go I listen to it for more

[00:37:07] of the arrangements mm oh that's the arrangements they do it four times all the chorus is double

[00:37:13] and I'll tell someone show me the riff they show oh this is the verse this is of course this is

[00:37:18] the intro once they showed to me it I've already listened to the song so many times so I just

[00:37:24] know it I mean I don't I don't know uh music theory or any of that stuff uh I just have the

[00:37:31] thing of picking it up and just show me how to play you know what are you doing or you know younger

[00:37:36] I'd learn things by ear but now I'm not on that musically trained at all yeah I always wondered if

[00:37:42] that's a good thing or not because there are people have spoken to who have said they're sort of happy

[00:37:47] that they haven't been trained formally because there's no sort of formal construct and you know

[00:37:53] it's not limiting creatively in a sense and then there are the people who have spoken to have said

[00:37:57] there was they did feel a certain pressure through their ears to sort of go and study music and

[00:38:02] things like that I guess it all depends like I said it's just in fact I guess it depends on who you

[00:38:09] talk to there's some people for example like the uh I would like to say who like to very nerd out

[00:38:17] on the guitar or bass or drum where they like to know why certain notes talk to each other

[00:38:23] or especially a drum I like you know off beat time they just like it you know music is not a

[00:38:28] good or bad thing it's just what speaks to you some people like for example rushes like to me the

[00:38:33] picking up prog music without rush to like the dream theaters or all these crazy you know

[00:38:41] styles you know rush did a great and then then you have somebody like Dave Grohl who just don't know

[00:38:48] anything on he even said I don't know notes or what this chord does but he knows what sounds good to him

[00:38:54] yeah you know what I mean so there's so many types of musicians but I appreciate the shredders

[00:39:00] I go wow you could do that stuff but I'm more of the I'm more of the um the school of good song writing

[00:39:08] like it's a good stop like if it's catchy if it speaks to me all right I'm into it but yeah

[00:39:15] then there's some stuff that I like every now and then where there's good shredding guitar or

[00:39:19] I go I like that but I don't like all of it yes some my big fan of people who write songs no

[00:39:25] matter what genre it is whether it's pop it pop metal rock you know whatever if it's catchy

[00:39:33] I mean yeah what were your influences during update well I was fortunate enough to have an older

[00:39:41] sibling and you know I discovered stuff through him like Zeppelin Black Sabbath you know journey

[00:39:47] you know a kiss all that stuff which is you know what he got into and I discovered through him but

[00:39:54] it wasn't until like I'll admit kill him all 83 that kind of opened the door for everything for me you

[00:40:01] know you hear that then you then you discover venom merciful fate he discovered everything underneath

[00:40:07] the sun you know like then you start I started getting into it you go oh yeah Metallica I mean 83

[00:40:13] I was like okay then you hear Megadeth then you go well that dude used to be Metallica then you know

[00:40:17] I could start to go oh shit and you start to buy everything and oh yeah Kerri King was a Megadeth

[00:40:23] but he's a man Slayer you're Slayer you know so it would kill him all open the whole door for me

[00:40:29] for metal but I had to know the older sibling we showed me the Sabbath the Zeppelin's the Iron Maiden

[00:40:36] priests the journey the yeah for St. Baruch's ship so that I was introduced to music to that but what

[00:40:44] spoke to me was metal so Kila Mal was like

[00:40:48] that opened my eyes to go what is this and what else is just as good as this yeah I also read

[00:40:56] somewhere that you you like to repair your jobs and you're quite into it I do you know right here

[00:41:06] I got a lot of gear now I have a lot of guitars I'm actually look I have a soldering iron here

[00:41:11] and I'm look at it bad I'm trying to repair something actually look at that see all that

[00:41:18] yeah I like I'm a fan of electronics I'm not you know I could fix guitars and all that

[00:41:24] and I do like guitars but I'm a fan of amps electronics like why do things work like well

[00:41:32] I'm a nerd I'm sorry it's just like I geek out with a lot of road crew people like I'll see

[00:41:37] they're set up I go what you set it up that way how come how come you set it up that way instead

[00:41:42] of this the way which I set it up that way and you know I like to know things and something gets

[00:41:46] broken what happened oh the room replaces part on I'm not a solver because I used to work at a

[00:41:52] when I'm not no more but in between tours I worked at a music repair shop and my boss would show

[00:41:57] me a lot of things I don't take it and I get into it I go this is cool I like fixing electronics

[00:42:02] especially when it comes to musical gear I'm like wow this is fun you know when you learn and

[00:42:08] and when I'm on the road I get to figure things out on my own like what happened I noted it

[00:42:13] I could figure it out you know I just you know everyone has their hobbies that's kind of like my hobby

[00:42:17] yeah yeah are you are you the fixer do you sort of on tour do you do you get into Rob stuff as well

[00:42:23] and help him fix I have I have before but now we have he has a guitar tech who that very much

[00:42:29] he he kicks out more than I do I go good there's somebody who can geek out because after a while

[00:42:36] it's like I don't have time to do stuff but you know but when he fixes things I like to go and

[00:42:41] then go what are you doing because I like to learn like oh that's you haven't seen that before

[00:42:46] I mean I like to take I like yeah I've under the now and then yeah there's a you know there are

[00:42:52] these YouTube channels and they do these rig run downs and yeah who's using what to just find

[00:42:58] that so fascinating I do too you know I like to know like especially my favorite artist like what are

[00:43:03] you playing on tour right now I go whoa that's interesting why hey you know like yeah who you have

[00:43:08] this whole setup where it's wired and what path it's going to like I know up why do you use that

[00:43:14] pedal and this and that like what's your setting maybe I like the sound of it maybe I'll try it

[00:43:20] you know I'm a geek that way bro yeah do you do you have a large collection of guitars as well

[00:43:25] no not really I just scattered all over like about 20 ESPs maybe less or something but

[00:43:33] I'm a more of collect like I said campers quad cortex any rack system type they all I'll just

[00:43:39] hoard it you know and just keep it and just have something but not a big guitar collection not a big

[00:43:44] fat yeah the last question before I let you go sure if you had to pick your top five albums

[00:43:51] some long time dude that's a hard one okay um

[00:44:01] uh

[00:44:05] Tom pity in the heartbreakers long after dark room

[00:44:09] um

[00:44:11] Metallica's master puppets

[00:44:15] uh

[00:44:19] Jesus uh it could be anything not metal or whatever right yeah I can be anything

[00:44:26] um okay I got to

[00:44:29] you know that's a hard one because it changes for me but those two would be the top two for sure

[00:44:35] yeah Tom pity long after dark and um Metallica's master puppets

[00:44:41] if I had to pick another metal record it would probably have to be death angels act 3

[00:44:48] um yeah great that little

[00:44:54] oh okay uh I got one for you

[00:44:56] uh

[00:44:59] I'm trying to think here the name of the album time uh

[00:45:04] when the Bruno Mars is the album his second album I think it

[00:45:07] un-nurse-adoxed jukebox that would be uh

[00:45:12] four right was it yeah four that's four and um

[00:45:18] wow you you really know how to stump people

[00:45:21] the uh

[00:45:23] a delus 21 wow I didn't expect that yeah I like her voice a lot

[00:45:30] seven the bottoms really good but you know it's

[00:45:34] I don't know that has to get out from delus 21 Bruno Mars un-nurse-adoxed jukebox

[00:45:38] death angels act 3 Metallica's master puppet and Tom pity long after dark

[00:45:44] yeah that's uh it's eclectic variety yeah that's not variety yeah

[00:45:48] completely unexpected yeah the what man you know I have

[00:45:52] I had these questions much earlier I really think yeah I should have said it

[00:45:56] I was actually going to ask you what is your

[00:45:58] do you have like one unforgettable concert or one absolutely crazy crowd

[00:46:03] that you've seen in the last 22 years that you've played with death angel

[00:46:07] you know I have to thank you for knowing I've been in the band 22 years

[00:46:12] you know of course of course like I said I'm a big fan of the band uh

[00:46:15] I've followed all your careers a lot thank you man yeah it will be uh

[00:46:20] it will be 22 in august 11 there you go that august 11th was my first show with death angel

[00:46:27] august 11 2001 so now it'd be yeah

[00:46:31] crazy there's so many you know there's so many I could tell you my first overseas show with

[00:46:37] death angel was think july at 2002 uh we played the dynamal festival but the night before

[00:46:43] we played the ethanol and iron hoven and that was sold out the crowd was great the return of death angel

[00:46:50] um didn't the dynamal festival itself so about that you know the dynamal festival that

[00:46:56] first overseas shows of course russia the titans you know the the first show the first comeback show

[00:47:02] death angel that those two you know but one show I I know remember really well as far as

[00:47:09] the loud fans loudness, routiness it's sweatbox it's hot it was it was so loud that we couldn't

[00:47:18] even hear our instruments and you know we heard the drums but it's we couldn't hear the amps it

[00:47:24] I remember this it was in october of 2010 relentless retribution came out we went to south america

[00:47:32] and we played Buenos Aires Argentina at a place called the roxy live

[00:47:38] so pack the crowd was so loud it was amazing so that was probably

[00:47:43] out there as far as one of the best shows I played loudness great crowd reactions that's

[00:47:51] the one I remember the most yeah the sultamerican audience is that amazing amazing well we haven't

[00:47:58] been in the air yet so yes you know so far Buenos Aires wins that's that from here but yeah you

[00:48:05] haven't hit other territory yeah so we're hoping next year and sort of the you know the robers

[00:48:10] at least in the in the metal community and everybody's like 2024 death angel for sure

[00:48:15] and you know how it is right look more banglago is bangle gore right bangalore

[00:48:21] bangalore yeah bangalore now but bangalore yes it's it's outside right it's outdoor

[00:48:27] it's an outdoor festival yes yeah well I mean we got an offer it's like I said earlier

[00:48:33] it's hard logistic financial but we want to get out there man it's just we keep hearing

[00:48:39] he's made the metal scene so great yeah

[00:48:43] uh the fans are crazy the people are awesome the culture we just want to experience not only the festival itself

[00:48:50] because you know that's what's bringing us out there is the music you know connection to the fans

[00:48:54] but we want to experience the Indian culture because I love Indian food I do a lot

[00:49:00] and I want I want some real authentic ones yeah oh absolutely you should come really take your dog

[00:49:06] I don't want to just come in then the next day you play in the next day you fly out that's

[00:49:10] it seems to happen a lot with a lot yeah have a at least like let us come in the next day we'll

[00:49:16] let go taste all the food and meet all the people and you know immerse yourself in the culture

[00:49:23] then the next day play the festival then the next day kind of relax and show and have more food

[00:49:28] immerse yourself then leave the following yeah that's what I want to do but yeah like with fast you fly

[00:49:33] in you get in that's a you play the following day you leave so that's why yeah if if you can get worked out

[00:49:41] logistically and financially where we could do that we're gonna come bring you a good show man

[00:49:46] yeah that that'll be amazing because uh you know I'm working on a documentary on the sort of

[00:49:52] evolution of Indian metal uh the Indian metal scene rather uh yeah there's tons of good bands I'll

[00:49:58] send you some stuff that you should check out when you have died please you know what said it to me

[00:50:02] and I'll send it to Wilk as Wilk loves discovering new bands especially Robert Wilk's one of those

[00:50:09] dudes were if someone gives him a CD of his band you know either when you go on tour people give you a

[00:50:15] lot of music check out my band blah blah Wil will listen to everything start to finish without skipping

[00:50:22] wow and he will and he does find good jam to go as he lists he found a a band from Taiwan called

[00:50:30] it's got their name but he lives into them on the regular he finds a lot of bands that just

[00:50:34] from their modes people give them because he listens to it I'm pretty sure if he sent me some stuff

[00:50:39] I'll send it his way and he'll he'll listen to it all you yeah yeah too I'll give it a listen since

[00:50:44] it's coming from you I'll give it a listen yeah thank you because there's some really interesting

[00:50:48] stuff coming out of here but yeah like I said I'll send it to you and then you can send it to Wilk

[00:50:52] yeah only only great thank you so much Ted it's been an absolute pleasure no thank you man

[00:50:58] six in the morning Jesus I would have adjusted my time for you bro that's all right no problem at all

[00:51:05] no problem but I really hope I can see you in the Philippines man all right man you got the email

[00:51:11] I hope make it happen we could hang out and we'll talk more and I hope we could make it to India man

[00:51:15] absolutely dad we look forward okay man you thanks that morning thank you Ted

[00:51:22] all right man catch up so bye bye and there you have it another exhilarating episode of

[00:51:28] Tales from the Road comes to an end we hope you enjoyed this conversation if you like

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