Rabishu Xul: Hello Chad can you tell us perhaps what your current
project is? And how long till you come through Texas on a tour? Chad Walls (a.k.a. Cpt Killdrums): Hello, well my current
project is responding to this interview, and thats about all I have going on at
the moment, as far as Texas......couldn't say, nothing in the books that I know
of right now.
Rabishu:You're a truly
great drummer who is able to play all sorts of styles and still you come back to
Death metal percussion? A lot of drummers would have found a different gig and
stuck with some of the easier better paying gigs, what is your endless
attraction with brutal percussion that keeps you wanting to kill those drums?
Cpt: Hmmm....well I am not sure, if I could find
just one band that could keep me as busy as I want, then I would stick with
something, but I doubt that will happen. I don't really keep coming back to
death metal though, I would imagine it might have something to do with a lack of
drummers in this scene, and with the growing number of people forming bands in
this genre, a good drummer is kind of rare, so that might be one reason I get to
do a lot, and there really is no attraction, other than just the love of the
music, it basically just comes down to, where a drummer is needed, that's where
you'll find me.
Rabishu: You worked
with Steve Tucker on the unit of Ceremony, yet I'm not hearing anything
else about it. What is the deal with that release and how did that venture come
to be? You have known Steve for many years or you just got contacted one day for
the gig? Cpt: Ceremony was his band before
he was in Morbid Angel, it also had Pat from Cannibal Corpse / Monstrosity &
Nevermore in it as well. I guess after MA he wanted to put it back together.
Steve and I have a mutual friend, and one day they were talking, he mentioned he
needed a drummer. My friend dropped my name to him, and he checked out my site,
and then gave me a call. I went up 2 days later and recorded some tracks for his
demo. Last I heard he was back in MA, so I doubt that material will see the
light of day.
Rabishu: What albums have
you purchased or downloaded or been listening to alot of lately? Cpt: Well I haven't bought anything in quite a while, and I'm
pretty behind on anything new, but I've been listening to the Goratory cd,
Paul Di'anno's Battlezone, Barry Manilow, and Chicago, and as always KISS!
Pustulated
Rabishu: The new Pustulated album is about to be out soon, how did the recording
sessions go? What is the new albums title? Also what is the major difference you
as a drummer notice when playing with Pustulated as opposed to playing with
Brodequin? Cpt: Yes it is!! The title is "Inherited
Cryptorchidism" and should be out first week of September on Goregiastic
Records. The sessions went great! Everything went so smooth, we knew we had
a job to do, and we had a deadline, due to my schedule. But we got everything
knocked out rapidly, and even had a few days to spare. I don't really notice a
difference cause I've played and done so much since my days with Brodequin, I
don't remember a thing about it, usually I just try to concentrate on what im
doing at the time.
Rabishu: How many
bands are you currently involved with? And Brodequin recently played shows in
Europe were you there? Cpt: Lets see, Misery from Ottawa
Canada, Axtra from Torino - Italy,
Dislimb and Inextya from Ohio,
Pustulated from Nashville, and on the homefront I have Moorehouse, Masturbating
Squirrel and Erocdrah, and even though its not a band im involved with, I tour
with ex-Iron Maiden singer Paul Di'anno whenever I can. I haven't heard anything
about Brodequin or what they are doing, if they have played shows, it wasn't
with me. But I was just in Europe with Paul, does that count?
Rabishu: Shit yah that counts fucking killer
opportunity and great fun I'm sure. Exactly what tour have you just recently
completed? How did it all go? Most of us will never have the pleasure of being a
member of a touring band. Cpt: The tour I just came
off of was North America with MISERY, and Europe with Axtra and Paul Di'anno.
Rabishu: You have said you stay as busy
and as active as you can, yet, for the first part of Brodequin, that's all we
heard from you, is there a reason? Cpt: Of course,
when I first formed Brodequin in 1998, I just left a horrible band. And wanted
to put something together. So I did, and right from the start we laid some rules
down. One, was there was to be no side projects or anything outside of
Brodequin. Well that held up for a while, but since I was the only one ever
asked to do anything else, that lasted until someone else got a call for
something else. During the rehearsal for "festival" that happened, I actually
quit the band over that, but was asked back to at least do the cd, which I did,
and fully regret. So a long story short is, I turned down lots to concentrate on
one tihng, needless to say I was the only team player, after "festival" was
done, I have tried to take advantage of all the missed opportunites, and won't
ever be that stupid again.
Rabishu: I
know you are a big fan of the oldschool thrash speed metal of the 80's and early
90's. Can you tell us what some of you absolute favorite thrash speed metal
bands of all time would be? (some are only obvious but I'm sure you would like
to speak of your personal favs) Any mention of song titles that may have really
hit you hard from this time period? Some of my favorites that I've been
listening to a lot lately are Atrophy - violent by nature, Dark Angel - leave
scars, Toranaga - gods gift, Blood Feast - chopping block blues, and other
assorted goodies. How bout you? Cpt: The thrash
period was for sure a great time for me, I find myself going back to a lot of
those albums, although going back really isn't fair, cause I have never left
them, so yeah. Not really any songs, although "the promise of agony" from Dark
Angel seems to be a staple in my life. Favs of all time are Hellstar, Gothic
Slam, Faith or Fear, Forbidden, Raven, Celtic Frost, Coroner, Tankard,
Heathen.....the list goes on and on and on and on.
Rabishu: Are you a good shot with a gun? How bout your self
defense methods are you well trained still from your days in the military on
hand to hand combat and such? When is the last time you got into a fight? Any
bar fights in foreign countries while on tour or anything? Cpt: Yeah, I qualified Expert in the Army, 38 out of 40. That
was with an M-16. I own only handguns now that I'm a citizen again....hahaha. I
don't get out and shoot much, but I'm sure I could hit what needed to be hit
given the opportunity. I am not really one for fighting, I try to avoid
confrontations and stuff like that when possible, the last fight I got in was
about 8 years ago, I got my fucking ass kicked by 4 guys. Fights on tour always
happen, not to many stand out overseas, whereas some I have seen in Alabama and
Iowa, I'll never forget!!!
Rabishu:
What is your personal opinion on the newest Metallica album St. Anger? Do you
own it? Most of us got it just to check it out of course I'm sure you are not
different, eigh? I know you are a fan of course of Lars like any drummer would
be. If you don't have any comment on this album its cool just thought I would
ask seeing as how you are a member of Misery, the Metallica cover band that you
have toured many foreign places with. Cpt: I
haven't even heard it yet, I don't listen to the radio, and don't have cable TV,
so kind of hard for me to hear it any other way, in fact, I have never even
heard Load or Reload before, I have heard songs off of them before. But as I
said earlier, I don't keep up with much. Misery doesn't do anything but old
Metallica, that's really what people wanna hear, that's what the die hards who
come out to see us want to hear. We do like one song off the black album and
that's it, everything else OLD. I haven't really liked Metallica since Justice,
and I did like Lars up until then, but not since.
Rabishu: Axtra the Megadeth cover band you tour with from Italy,
how is it that you came to be asked to join that unit? I also want to ask the
same question about Misery? Did you find some adds and respond or they contacted
you directly in both situations? I'm very interested to know how you get into
such situations when you live so far away from Italy or Canada. Cpt: I was contacted personally by both, I really have to
hand it and owe it all the Miguel of MISERY, he's the one who gave me a chance,
and everything has went from there. I first saw Misery in 1995 here in TN, I was
just out of the Army and back home, looking to tour. I saw them play, and to
make another long story short, I told them their drummer sucked and I could do
better. They laughed, but took my business card anyway. They called 5 months
later, I flew up the next day, and been with them ever since. They do have a
fill in drummer for gigs I can't make sometimes, but I'm the main drummer. Axtra
I met through Misery, and they gave me a chance also, I flew to Italy and
rehearsed with them one day, and left for tour the next, doing a double bill
with them and MISERY through Europe. And again with them with the recent stint
with Paul Di'anno. So its basically just networking, and who knows who type of
thing. The hardest part is just getting in the door, once I've gotten a chance
to play, I'm given the opportunity, the hard part is just being able to get in
and play. With some of the death metal and other session work I get, its usually
just a phone call or an email, and I'll discuss what I need and what my schedule
is and take it from there.
Rabishu: Are
you hitched up to any girl at the moment? Married? Got youngins? Cpt: FUCK NO, FUCK NO and NO!
Rabishu: When you are first waking up in the morning do you have a
stretching routine? Do you smoke cigs? (I would assume not) And do you exercise
on a regular basis? Go to the gym or anything? Cpt:
No stretching routine, I gave that up once I left the Army. I do exercise when I
get a chance, just conditioning stuff I learned from the military, I also enjoy
riding bikes, that's a great full body work out. I don't go to the gym or lift
weights or anything like that. And I don't, and never have smoked.
Rabishu: When you are on the toilet launching a large
log, do you ever start to play air drums and double bass? I know I do sometimes
haha. You should set up a ride cymbal and a snare or something just for laughs
when company comes over and uses your toilet.. . hahaha. Cpt: Interesting question, but no I haven't ever done that,
and that would be a waste to do that, cause I never have any company over or any
friends, so that would be a waste. I would rather just wait til I was done, and
go play one of my drum kits.
Paul Di'anno & Cpt
Killdrums
Rabishu: Can you think of any one particular night or day of a
concert you played where you looked out across the toms and truly was amazed by
what the crowd looked liked while going off to your percussion? Cpt: I can't really say I was amazed at the crowd, cause I
play the same whether playing in front of 5 or 5,000. But one thing that does
stick out, was recently with Paul Di'anno.. The first night on stage with him,
we opened with WRATHCHILD, and he walked onstage right next to my drum kit, and
the crowd was great, and I just remember that cause, I remember at 10 years old
having Iron Maiden posters on my wall, and then years later to be onstage with
him, playing those songs, that is the one thing that will stick out the most for
me.
Rabishu: After you finish using the
computer today/tonight what will you be going to do? I know you hate spending
time off the road and would rather be on the road 365 days a year if possible.
What is a basic day like for you when you are at home off the road? You go to
the post office and pay bills and mow the grass and wash the car and all kinds
of stuff like that when you are home or just hang out do nothing? Do you have to
do any other kind of work to support you bills at home lights, heating cooling
costs rent etc. Is what you are doing enough to cover that? And how do you pay
the bills when you are out on the road far from home? Cpt: I'll probably send you a real nasty email for asking so
many fucking questions, but other than that, I can't really say what I'll do,
probably read, I got a book on Keith Moon the other day (for those who don't
know, that's the late GREAT drummer from THE WHO) so maybe that. And a typical
day usually is spent on the phone or online trying to hook up the next thing, or
working on projects, or helping others out with their projects. Seeing my
parents, and spending as much time as I can with my beautiful dog ZEENA. She
enjoys the lake, and chicken nuggets from Wendy's, so I try to make her feel
like the most special dog in the world, which of course she is. I don't have to
do anything other than touring and drumming, I own my own house, so I have no
bills. I do blow a lot of money on drums and gear, so I have to keep working,
which is great, cause as you've said, and as I've told Modern Drummer magazine,
365 days a year on the road for the rest of my life still wouldn't be enough. I
have auto pay set up with the utility board and the phone company, so that's
taken care of.
Rabishu: Well Chad,
thanks for the interview and for answering so many of these questions. We will
check your website for updates as often as possible, also we will be adding your
link to the Metalwhore links page. Anything to add as we close this interview?
Cpt: Thanks for the interview, new Pustulated
coming soon, and its back to cheap motel rooms and truck stop dining for me!
