Schmerz macht selten Spaß! Doch im Falle von PRO-PAIN kann man hier durchaus von einer angenehmen Ausnahme sprechen. Die neue Scheibe "The Final Revolution" rotiert seit einigen Tagen im Player und versetzt den Hörer in eine Zeitmaschine zurück in die 90er, ohne allerdings angestaubt zu klingen. Bandleader Gary Meskil hat diesmal das Songwriting komplett alleine übernommen und mit seinen Mannen in der Schweiz im Studio von Gurd-Frontmann V.O. Pulver ein amtliches Brett eingespielt. Zeit, der Hardcore Legende mal auf den Zahn zu fühlen und einige brennende Fragen zu stellen, deren Antworten wir aus Gründen der Authentizität im Original belassen! (Die Fragen natürlich auch!) 🙂
The last two releases came along with a bunch of new influences, like Thrash riffs, more melodic vocals, a new metal edge and so on. That was very refreshing and showed the new band situation/feeling. Now you did the songwriting on your own. Is this because of the positive reaction of the fans to the touring with all the old songs on the set list?
We wanted to make sure that the new album had it’s own identity and it’s own place in our extensive catalog. So, we went with a tried and true formula that worked very well for us in the earlier stages of our career. Still, it’s not that remarkable for me to write all or most of everything, as I’m quite used to it. I have a certain style of writing which is easily identifiable for the fans. It’s the Pro-Pain sound.
What was your inspiration and goal in doing it alone on your own?
I have always preferred to write alone, and within the confines of my four walls. I don’t like any outside interference and or distraction, because it’s important for me to be 100% focused on what I’m doing. Writing with others can be challenging for me, mainly because the other writers don’t have an understanding of my phrasing needs (as a vocalist). They generally write music for the sake of writing music. That’s fine, but it has the potential of watering things down a bit.
The new material is a (positive J) step back to your hardcore roots and sounds to my ears as a follow up to "Contens Under Pressure" or your first release. Do you feel similar about it?
In certain aspects, yes. "The Final Revolution" encapsulates my signature style of writing, so older fans will certainly appreciate that. I wrote the earlier albums on my own, so this could perhaps be viewed as a bit of a follow up to those earlier releases. Having said that, I think that "The Final Revolution" has more modern and mature elements to offer vs our older albums. There is a natural progression that all bands go through in time, and so it’s a good idea to go with the flow in that regard, instead of trying to contrive something nostalgic.
As every one could see on stage, the new guys are so enthusiastic, that it feels like you are a hungry new band, that started the career right now. How does this band feeling influence you? And, although you did the main songwriting, were the other guys able to put their ideas to tape? The drum parts and fills for example sound better than ever…
Thanks! I’m sure that the other guys in the band would be happy to hear that. I think the level of enthusiasm boils down to the individual who is bringing it to the table. We are fortunate enough to have a very enthusiastic lineup at the moment. It’s easy to get jaded in this business, and we are all susceptible to a certain degree I suppose. They say that “familiarity breeds contempt”, and it certainly does. Certain individuals can see the big picture, while others can’t see past their nose. To have good work ethic is important, but it’s hard to find those types of individuals in the age of entitlement and incompetence.
The last and new artwork looks like socialistic propaganda posters to me. What's the meaning of it?
We live in revolutionary times, but the word revolution has taken on a different and less violent meaning nowadays. The internet has paved the way for “the great awakening”. The stage has been set, and the environment is ripe for revolutionary change (due mostly to the economic hardship of the majority). When people lose everything, “they lose it”. So, the album title and artwork speak loudly for the times in which we are living. Pro-Pain has always served as a barometer for socio-political sentiment, and each album is a reflection of that sentiment.
Again you produced your new album with Mr. Pulver, who did again a great job. Why did you choose him (I know you know him for a while because of touring with Gurd in the 90ties – so why didn't you choose him earlier?)?
I’ve known V.O. for approximately 20 years, and when the time came for us to look for an outside producer, he was the first logical choice. Little Creek Studio provides a serene environment for recording, and it’s a nice contrast to the music we record there. It’s not easy to achieve great collective chemistry, but we’ve had great results working with V.O. I would highly recommend him to any band who is looking for a hassle free environment in which to record their material.
If you look back on some of your older productions, don't you think some of them deserve a better sound and is there a chance you rerecord some older stuff again with V.O., like you did for your “20 years” album?
Well, although I certainly understand where you’re coming from, I don’t think it’s entirely fair to judge the production value of earlier works via today’s ears. We could re-record older works to make them more in-line with today’s production standards, and although there’s nothing wrong with it, I don’t entirely see the point (from an artistic standpoint). The band is collectively “on the fence” when it comes to this topic, so we’ll take another look at it somewhere down the road.
You are involved in a new project named Darkhaus. Could you tell anything about it and how do you manage it, to play in two bands, mainly because it’s a German band far away from your home…
Darkhaus are an international group whose members are from Germany, Austria, Scotland, and USA. We play a unique hybrid of 80’s synth pop, modern rock, electronic, and dance. It can be logistically challenging at times to rehearse and record, but so far we’ve been able to make great strides. We recently played our first gigs supporting Unzucht, and our new record “My Only Shelter” is critically acclaimed and is selling quite well. We will support Eisbrecher in late December, and we will be main support for Subway To Sally next April. I also play in a 3rd band called Salvation, which is a Florida “beatdown style” hardcore band. We are currently recording our debut album “Resurrect The Tradition”. Look for it!
From time to time you do guest contributions like now on the new Undertow. How do you choose the bands and do you record your stuff always at home?
Undertow are a great band, and it was a fun experience recording some guest vocals with them. I also recently sang some guest vocals for a cool Greek band called Psycho Choke. I don’t have a studio setup at home anymore, but I have some local friends who have recording facilities in SW Florida. So, I generally utilize their services for such projects.
OK, thanks for this interview! Thanks to the fans for their continued support, and make sure to check out our new album "The Final Revolution". You won’t be disappointed! For more info log onto pro-pain.com or visit us at PRO PAIN Official on Facebook.
\m/ Gary \m/
Wir bedanken uns für die ausführlichen Antworten und ich freue mich schon, auf Tour eine Kaltschale mit Gary zu heben!
(Photos courtesy of Steamhammer)
We live in revolutionary times, but the word revolution has taken on a different and less violent meaning nowadays. The internet has paved the way for “the great awakening”. The stage has been set, and the environment is ripe for revolutionary change (due mostly to the economic hardship of the majority). When people lose everything, “they lose it”. So, the album title and artwork speak loudly for the times in which we are living. Pro-Pain has always served as a barometer for socio-political sentiment, and each album is a reflection of that sentiment.
Again you produced your new album with Mr. Pulver, who did again a great job. Why did you choose him (I know you know him for a while because of touring with Gurd in the 90ties – so why didn't you choose him earlier?)?
I’ve known V.O. for approximately 20 years, and when the time came for us to look for an outside producer, he was the first logical choice. Little Creek Studio provides a serene environment for recording, and it’s a nice contrast to the music we record there. It’s not easy to achieve great collective chemistry, but we’ve had great results working with V.O. I would highly recommend him to any band who is looking for a hassle free environment in which to record their material.
If you look back on some of your older productions, don't you think some of them deserve a better sound and is there a chance you rerecord some older stuff again with V.O., like you did for your “20 years” album?
Well, although I certainly understand where you’re coming from, I don’t think it’s entirely fair to judge the production value of earlier works via today’s ears. We could re-record older works to make them more in-line with today’s production standards, and although there’s nothing wrong with it, I don’t entirely see the point (from an artistic standpoint). The band is collectively “on the fence” when it comes to this topic, so we’ll take another look at it somewhere down the road.
You are involved in a new project named Darkhaus. Could you tell anything about it and how do you manage it, to play in two bands, mainly because it’s a German band far away from your home…
Darkhaus are an international group whose members are from Germany, Austria, Scotland, and USA. We play a unique hybrid of 80’s synth pop, modern rock, electronic, and dance. It can be logistically challenging at times to rehearse and record, but so far we’ve been able to make great strides. We recently played our first gigs supporting Unzucht, and our new record “My Only Shelter” is critically acclaimed and is selling quite well. We will support Eisbrecher in late December, and we will be main support for Subway To Sally next April. I also play in a 3rd band called Salvation, which is a Florida “beatdown style” hardcore band. We are currently recording our debut album “Resurrect The Tradition”. Look for it!
From time to time you do guest contributions like now on the new Undertow. How do you choose the bands and do you record your stuff always at home?
Undertow are a great band, and it was a fun experience recording some guest vocals with them. I also recently sang some guest vocals for a cool Greek band called Psycho Choke. I don’t have a studio setup at home anymore, but I have some local friends who have recording facilities in SW Florida. So, I generally utilize their services for such projects.
OK, thanks for this interview! Thanks to the fans for their continued support, and make sure to check out our new album "The Final Revolution". You won’t be disappointed! For more info log onto pro-pain.com or visit us at PRO PAIN Official on Facebook.
\m/ Gary \m/
Wir bedanken uns für die ausführlichen Antworten und ich freue mich schon, auf Tour eine Kaltschale mit Gary zu heben!
(Photos courtesy of Steamhammer)
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