Following the release of their latest EP, SUCKS! The Stupid EP, New York/New Jersey crossover thrashers Zamboni contacted me in hopes of a review and interview for my blog. Recurrent readers of the MusicTalker blog may recall that I recently followed through with half of the band’s request. My review of the new EP can be found here.
As for the second half of their request, I recently conducted an interview via e-mail with vocalist/bassist Chris Butera and Rob Orr of Zamboni. The conversation can be read below, consisting of topics spanning from the band’s origin to the new EP to several other pressing questions and answers.
How did Zamboni originate?
Rob: Chris told me about the idea I believe at an Exodus show in the summer of 2010. He said he wanted to start a crossover thrash band with really offensive lyrics and asked if I wanted to play guitar. I said yes and we met up about a month later to jam and see how things would go. After a couple of jam sessions with just the two of us, we spoke to an old high school friend of mine, Nathan Wolff, about playing drums, and he joined as our first drummer.
Chris: I had this offensive crossover idea because I was listening to a ton of Carnivore at the time. I told Rob about it about a month after my old band broke up at this Exodus show. I got the name from watching an old wrestling video on Youtube where Stone Cold Steve Austin drove a zamboni down to the ring and beat up the MacMahons a few weeks later. A few weeks to a month later, we jammed, we clicked, and we gave birth to this ugly little kid called Zamboni.
Have all of you always listened to metal? If not, what types of music have you enjoyed in the past? (Include any guilty pleasures.)
Rob: I haven’t always listened to metal per say, but I have pretty much always listened to rock. I grew up listening to classic rock, especially Pink Floyd. I also did listen to SOME 90s pop, but mostly when I was in the car with my friends and I didn’t much care for it. When I was about 11 or 12, my uncle started getting me more into hard rock/ heavy metal. Whenever I was with him in his car, we would listen to stuff like Black Sabbath or Metallica, and that helped me get into the basic heavy metal stuff. Throughout high school, I listened to a lot of rock and metal, but nothing too underground. Mostly Ozzy, Metallica, some Megadeth, and (sigh) hair metal. Towards the end of high school, I started getting more into Thrash, and I bought the older Megadeth and Metallica albums, as well as Exodus and Testament.
Chris: I didn’t begin to get into metal until I was 13, so before that I listened to all the crap on the radio or whatever “the cool kids” were into because I didn’t know what I liked yet. I was young. But as always, as soon as you hear it, you know what you like. After that I pretty much only listened to metal until 2011. I opened my mind more when I went away to college for a year, so now I listen to everything from country to gangsta rap, which I love almost as much as metal. I listen to NWA’s “Straight Outta Compton” album too much. I’ve gotten in trouble for getting drunk and becoming black at parties because of that album.
For each of you, what is your favorite metal album of all-time?
Rob: Master of Puppets will always hold a special place in my heart.
Chris: It will always be the very first Rigor Mortis album for me. To me, that is the best album in the history of metal and it is criminally underrated and unbelievably tough to get your hands on if you don’t have money. I cannot wait for the reissue and the new album. It will be bittersweet though, with what happened with Mike Scaccia and all. I hope his family and friends are doing all right.
Chris, you have a very unique voice, which definitely works with Zamboni’s music. Do you have any major vocal influences that have led to shaping your individual style?
Chris: I’m still workng on my voice to tell you the truth. I’ve been recording with gut instinct for a while, but I’m pretty sure I’ve figured it out from playing live so hopefully I can get it together for the album and hit it out of the park. My major vocal influences are Danzig, Michael Graves, Steve “Zetro”” Souza, a little bit of Lemmy, some Joey Belladonna, Bruce Corbitt, and a tinge of King Diamond, which I would like to bring out a little more.
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