Rock My Monkey: Hello, you are listening to the Rock My Monkey netcast on RockMyMonkey.com. Today we are speaking with Terror vocalist Scott Vogel about the new Terror e.p. Rhythm Against The Chaos. How are you doing today, Scott?
Scott Vogel: I’m doing wonderful.
Rock My Monkey: It seems that the band considers it to be a very special thing to release this through Patrick Kitzel and Reaper Records. Why do you feel that that hits so close to home for Terror?
Scott Vogel: Well, there’s a few reasons. First of all, he’s one of my best friends. We’ve been signed to Trustkill Records, which is an independent label, but on a larger scale. We’ve put out three records with them. We’ve fulfilled our contract. We’re free right now to sign with whatever label we want, which is kind of exciting. But we just wanted to put out an EP on, if anyone knows about Reaper Records, it’s a tiny label. So we just wanted to do something kind of on a smaller scale. It’s just kind of for fun. We recorded it in our drummer’s studio. We just kind of did it going in with the vibe of just like kind of when the band started, without worrying about how great the distribution would be, or blah, blah, blah. We just put it out with our friend, and did it with a real positive attitude.
Rock My Monkey: I think it definitely has a, it goes back to that original raw, kind of stripped down sound that I think your first EP actually had. So that’s a good thing. Now, what song on this cd has the chance of being your “Ace Of Spades”, the song that fans are going to demand for decades to come?
Scott Vogel: I would say Track 2, “Disconnected”. It’s really, to give you a little bit of background, but most of the songs on that record were actually written for our last album. But not because they weren’t good enough songs, but they were tracks similar to songs that were on that album, they didn’t make the record. So the three other songs, obviously not the cover, Tracks 1, 2, and 4 were previously written maybe over a year ago. Track 2 is more of the direction that Terror is going in towards the new album. That’s the song that if I have things my way, which I don’t always have things my way in the band, will be on the new album. That’s the one that really stands out to me, lyrically, musically, and just the overall feel of where the band is at right now.
Rock My Monkey: So how new is the song “Vengeance Calls On You”?
Scott Vogel: Over two years old.
Rock My Monkey: Oh, wow.
Scott Vogel: Most people don’t know that. But when we wrote for our last record, Always The Hard Way, we had about over thirty songs written. Obviously all those songs aren’t going to make it. And a lot of those songs sound similar in style to each other. We had leftover songs, so it made it easier for us to do this EP, because anybody that knows our band, we tour like ten months out of the year. It just made it easy. If they were just scrap garbage songs, we wouldn’t have put them out. I don’t want to give off the wrong impression. They were just songs that were written and hanging around.
Rock My Monkey: What do you think makes Terror unique in the modern hard core scene, and what do you offer fans that no other hard core band does today?
Scott Vogel: I would definitely say our live show is a step above the energy and, I guess the madness that ensues at our live show is a step above most bands. Unique, I think Terror is definitely a band that definitely holds on to the traditions of hardcore, and where it started, the sound, you know. We definitely respect and learn from a lot of the bands that started this. As where today a lot of bands that call themselves hardcore don’t even know, I guess, what that means. But within that we also, there’s definitely a metal sound to Terror. We incorporate a lot of things from outside the hardcore scene. We’re definitely not close minded. I think one thing that we can do that’s unique is play to any sort of crowd. We’ve toured with Behemoth. We’ve tour with-I could go through a whole list of bands we’ve toured with. But we go out there and play to any type of person anywhere at any time. We’re not trying to fit into any certain mold. We’ll always be a hardcore band, but you know, we definitely go against the grain in a lot of aspects. And I think there’s-I don’t know, I can’t pinpoint where it is. But there’s something about the band that all sorts of genres can take interest in.
Rock My Monkey: Is there any plans for a video single for Rhythm Amongst The Chaos?
Scott Vogel: No. The budget just wouldn’t be there. For us to get the money from the label to make a video is just impossible.
Rock My Monkey: What song on here do you think is-you know, hardcore is known for singing about things, singing heavy music about things that are very personal. What song on here do you feel is the most personal to you, and why?
Scott Vogel: You know, it’s hard for me to pick out one song. I’m really happy with the lyrics on the whole thing. I wouldn’t write a song that I don’t think is important to me personally. Or some of the songs we write are more reaching out, not so much personal, but definitely I think something that hardcore does that’s different than all forms of music is if you don’t have lyrics that are saying something then I don’t think you’re a hardcore band. You’re just a rock band or something. So you know, I’ll just take the first track, because it’s the first track. The song is “Rhythm Amongst The Chaos”. Basically what that’s saying is a lot of people, like myself, that I meet in all forms of music growing up in this world, whether you’re rich or poor, or live on the East Coast or the West Coast, or in Japan. A lot of the people I meet have a lot of hard things in their lives and a lot of confusion. And that song is just basically about finding music and traveling and finding all sorts of bands and what they’re saying, and meeting people through music, and kind of finding a world underneath the ugly world we live in, and kind of finding music as an escape to get away from all the bullshit.
Rock My Monkey: I hear this has a cover of “Kick Back”, with a guest vocal appearance from Vinnie Paz of Jedi Mind Tricks. What made you pick that song to cover?
Scott Vogel: You know, the reason we actually picked that is that at our first couple of shows, maybe our first three shows ever, we covered that song. And Breakdown is a band, the band that wrote the song is a band that we really like. And getting Vinnie from Jedi Mind Tricks who is a hip hop group out of Philadelphia that-the way we met them, is I’m not sure exactly how it started, but we did a track, a re-mix of one of their songs, maybe two years ago. And Vinnie is somebody that is-someone we like to hang out with. He’s got kind of the same attitude we do. He definitely is really into a lot of the same music that we are. So to have him actually-he’s never, as far as I know, he’s never like screamed or sang to heavy music. He’s an M.C., he’s a rapper. To have him do it was really cool, and it came out amazingly. He needs to start a band. His voice came out amazing.
Rock My Monkey: One of the biggest complaints that I hear about hardcore is that the messages are most of the time extremely vague. So what is the most specific point that you make on Rhythm Amongst The Chaos?
Scott Vogel: The most specific point-well, one thing I want to touch on before I get to that. I didn’t do it on this EP, but on our last album, every song when you read the lyrics there’s an explanation of the lyrics. There’s a paragraph explaining exactly what the song is about. I plan on doing that on our next album. I think it’s also cool that when you read a song and don’t know exactly what it’s about, you can make your own interpretation and make it mold to your life, and get a feeling out of it. So that’s one cool thing I think. But like what you’re saying, I definitely want people to know what I’m saying. I don’t expect everyone to agree with me. I don’t want everyone to agree with me. But I want at least people to think and have an opinion. The most specific point on that EP, and I think a lot of the Terror songs and the whole vibe of the band is you know, your life is in your hands and you got to make the best of it. Getting too negative is going to kill you, and there’s always a way out. Whether it’s by yourself or the people around you that you love, you got to get yourself up and get yourself through the bad, because there’s a lot more good out there for everyone to obtain.
Rock My Monkey: How do you feel the band has progressed between Always The Hard Way and Rhythm Amongst The Chaos? And what do you feel that Rhythm Amongst The Chaos offers fans that maybe was missing from Always The Hard Way?
Scott Vogel: You know, the only thing I can say to that is Terror has always-Terror will always be Terror. I don’t think we’re going to stray too far from the formula. But with all of our albums-we put out a demo and then an EP and then three real releases. I think we’ve grown and got better recordings, and kind of become more of a real band, if that makes sense, through each record. This record, like you said, when we first started this is kind of taking a step back and doing it a little more raw, doing it a little more for the reasons why this band started. Like, we didn’t worry too much about anything, or put too much stress on ourselves. We just did it, and did it with friends. It’s kind of, I think what it offers is someone-there’s a lot of people out there that don’t want to hear bands that go into studios with really great recordings and blah, blah, blah. So this is kind of just a throwback, and something to let everyone know that-I don’t want to give off this impression that we’re this big rock band and we’re getting too far out there, because that’s not the case. But it is definitely a reminder to ourselves and everyone that checks out the band that the reasons why we started this band are still important to us.
Rock My Monkey: Is there any lesson that the band has learned that you could share with other bands spinning their wheels and trying to make it?
Scott Vogel: A lesson that I’ve learned from how our band’s done things and watching other bands is you got to start at the bottom. You got to start in a van playing to anybody for no money. And not complaining that there’s only twenty people there and not complaining that you’re driving through the night and not getting much sleep. Because I know what Terror has built will have a following for as long as we’re around and then some, whereas a lot of these bands that come out and don’t really build a fan base, they just have some hype and get hooked up with a record deal right away and are playing the style of music that’s cool at the time. Those bands are going to be gone and forgotten before they can even realize what they’re doing. I’m sure a few of them will last. But I think you just got to do what’s in your heart, and also start at the bottom and build a real fan base, and build yourself as a real band as opposed to coming out of nowhere and being something right away. That’s just not going to last. You’re not going to last, and you’re not going to last within people’s memories.
Rock My Monkey: You guys are about to kick off a tour with Chimaira, Kataklysm, and The End. How long will you be out, and will that go coast to coast?
Scott Vogel: That is very long. It’s the whole United States and most of Canada. It’s almost five weeks. And we’re actually doing some shows by ourselves before that. So we’re going to be gone from, we’re doing shows from November 4th to December 21st. That’s almost two months.
Rock My Monkey: Do you know who is behind the Vogelisms website, and do you have any idea when that’ll be updated?
Scott Vogel: I don’t know. I don’t know, and I think it’s kind of goofy. It’s a little bit flattering and a little bit stupid and stuff, but yeah, I don’t know anything about it.
Rock My Monkey: Just totally guessing, I’m guessing that they don’t mean it to be taken very seriously. It’s probably meant to be more as a compliment and an homage to you guys than anything. Now, do you guys have any specific pre-show rituals to get you into the right mindset, or is it pretty much as this point like pushing a button and going?
Scott Vogel: You know, everyone does their own thing. I have a really bad neck, so I some stretching with my neck. As bad as it sounds, I usually take a few shots of vodka before we play. I usually listen to some music on my iPod that gets me kind of hyped up. That’s what I do. Other people, I don’t know what everyone does. Everyone does their thing, but there’s no Terror group exercise before we play.
Rock My Monkey: Recently the RIAA has successfully sued the first music fan. It happens to be actually a heavy music fan. What are your thoughts on that?
Scott Vogel: I saw that, but I don’t know all the details. What was it for? Were they downloading music, or sharing it crazy in an overly like absurd fashion?
Rock My Monkey: Basically the claim that was made by the RIAA was that she was using Kazaa, which kind of surprises me, because I didn’t realize anyone used Kazaa anymore. But supposedly she was using Kazaa and when you open up Kazaa it basically grabs the songs on your hard drive, and automatically offers them up for sharing with other Kazaa members. Basically it’s an online tape trading kind of thing. She claims that that was not her, that she does not have a Kazaa account. And that somebody was basically trying to pretend to be her to protect themselves. And although they could not find any of the music on her hard drive, they did show signs that she had replaced her hard drive very recently. So it was pretty much all circumstantial evidence, but yeah, that’s pretty much it.
Scott Vogel: It was for a huge amount of money, wasn’t it?
Rock My Monkey: Yeah, for a single mother it’s basically she’ll either have to file bankruptcy, and this will probably, she probably will not be able to pay this off for several decades, if not for the rest of her life.
Scott Vogel: Well, I don’t know if she was the right person to go after. I don’t know, you know? It’s kind of a fine line, where I’m torn between being in a band. I’ve definitely always been the type of person that you know, I’ve been in a lot of bands that put out demos, and just want people to hear the music I make. I never really got into this thinking I was going to be rich. But it’s kind of scary that to take for instance this new EP. It’s online available for download now, and it’s not even out yet. I think it’s cool that people can get our music so easily, especially in places like when we go to South America or Mexico and people really can’t actually afford it, that they can download it and have our music. I think that’s cool. But I think it’s just wrong that you put so much hard work and a label pays, I don’t know, ten, twenty, a hundred thousand dollars for a recording, and people just take it. I don’t know. I think it’s great that more people come out to our shows and know our songs, but I really wouldn’t mind being compensated for all the hard work and time and effort that goes into writing a song. Another thing that I hate about it is, lyrics now, no one gets lyrics. When people download a record, they just have the music and they can kind of make out the lyrics, but no one reads lyrics anymore or pays attention. It’s just watered down to music, and that to me is a horrible thing. I think it’s going to come down to where bands, if they care, need to start like making photocopies of their lyrics and having them at their merch table, or posting them online and stuff like that, so people-music to me-I listen to all sorts of music. I listen to a lot of rap crap that has nothing to say. Not to say that there isn’t hip hop that has a really lot of wonderful things to say, but a lot of crap. But you know the music that means the most to me is something that is saying something. So I think that’s really getting lost with downloading.
Rock My Monkey: Before I ask my final question, is there anything you’d like to say to the fans of Terror?
Scott Vogel: To the people that already support us, we’ve had an unbelievable ride. We’re not near anywhere done, but just thank you to everyone that supports us and comes out to our shows and checks out our music. To anyone that hasn’t heard of us, if you like heavy, in your face music with a real pulse, maybe give us a try when you’re free.
Rock My Monkey: I do have one final question. Every year we do choose one final question that we ask every single band, from classic rock legends to the most extreme brutal death metal band and hard core bands. Partially to stump people, but also to see who wimps out and won’t answer. This year I’m asking people to look into their crystal ball and predict what political figure, world leader, musician, celebrity, anybody world wide famous, who do you think might die before the end of the year?
Scott Vogel: Wow. Give me a minute to think. Who might die?
Rock My Monkey: Political leaders and celebrity snobs seem to be a favorite type of answer.
Scott Vogel: How about like Keith Richards?
Rock My Monkey: Keith Richards. Interesting. Cool.
Scott Vogel: I wouldn’t like to see that, but he’s got to have some frail insides.
Rock My Monkey: I thank you very much for doing the interview, and anybody that’s listening to the audio version can go to RockMyMonkey.com for the full featured version with clickable links, readable text, and many more wonderful features. I’m asking people to click on the album cover above and below this interview to purchase Rhythm Amongst The Chaos by Terror. And I do hope to see you guys up on tour up in the Northwest sometime soon. But before we hang up, I was wondering, could you give me a vogelism to end this interview with?
Scott Vogel: Oh fuck.
Rock My Monkey: (laughs)
Scott Vogel: Can I say that?
Rock My Monkey: Sure. This is internet.
Scott Vogel: It’s good to be alive.
Rock My Monkey: Cool. Cool. I thank you very much, Scott. And again, I hope to see you up in the Northwest sometime soon.
Scott Vogel: Thank you, my friend. Have a nice day.
