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July 24, 2008 |
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Brian Langley
September 9, 2005
By Tony Antunovich
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Vancouver-based steel-horde INFERNAL MAJESTY made their mark in the metal world back in 1987 with the classic offering, "None Shall Defy", and then went on to release 1998's "Unholier Than Thou", followed by "One Who Points To Death" in 2004. In the last year, the band have gone through a very strange situation - namely with longtime vocalist Chris Bailey, who has now been replaced by new blood. In this EXCLUSIVE first-ever interview, METALEATER speaks to new vocalist Brian Langley, who sheds some light on the entire situation with what happened with Bailey, how he landed the gig with INFERNAL MAJESTY, and the band's vision for the future.
For those people out there that do not know, you are the new lead vocalist of INFERNAL MAJESTY. How did this all come about?
Well, I was talking to my buddy Denis (from CRADLE TO GRAVE) trying to set up shows with them and my other band MECHA MESSIAH and Steve (Terror - guitar) and Eric (Dubreuil - bass) from INFERNAL MAJESTY just happened to be there. I happened to be standing there talking to Denis and he tells Steve, "Why don't you get Brian to try out for you guys!?" So basically I was just in the right place at the right time.
So how did everything pan out after that?
I guess it was a couple of weeks later - Denis phoned me up again and asked, "Have INFERNAL MAJESTY contacted you yet?" - and I was like "No, why would they?" And he said, "Oh, they want you to be their new singer." - and I said "You're joking, right?" Then Denis said, "No. They should be calling you soon." So I had finished talking with Denis, and about five to ten minutes later the bass player Eric phones me up and we discussed getting together. Initially I was just supposed to go see one of their practices because I didn't own any of their albums. I'd definitely heard of them from all the buzz from their first album. So we set up a time to go down there and meet them at their rehearsal space and I was just supposed to sit there and listen to see if I liked it. I went out and picked up a copy of their latest disk "One Who Points To Death" (from 2004) and listened to some of the songs on it and I actually found the original four-song demo from '86 that they did before "None Shall Defy" came out.
I had two days before the rehearsal was supposed to happen and I immediately latched on to "Night Of The Living Dead" - I was like "Wow! This is different!" I hadn't really heard a song like that before. So when it came time for the rehearsal - rather than just sit there and listen - I was like "I want to try this song!" So they were really impressed with the fact that I wanted to try and sing a song with them right away. It was pretty rough but they could tell that I'd obviously listened to the song a couple times. When I sing for MECHA MESSIAH, it's a completely different story - it's more traditional hard rock like Bon Scott-era AC/DC, Zakk Wylde-esque BLACK LABEL SOCIETY-type vocals. After listening to recordings that INFERNAL have done, I was like "I've never tried to do thrash/death metal vocals before. I don't know if I'm going to be able to do it." But I just got on the microphone and gave it my all because I had a huge opportunity and there was no way I was going to risk blowing it.
They liked me right away after the first practice. I got an e-mail from them the next day saying "Okay. We're practicing again on this day. We think this just might work out." It just kind of went from there and two weeks later they asked "Okay. Do you want to be in INFERNAL MAJESTY?" And I was like, "Absolutely!"
Awesome stuff. Congratulations on that.
Thank you.
It must be really exciting for you especially due to the fact that they are a band that originated in the '80s.
Yeah. I know a lot about the history of past members and everything because I figured, "I'm going to be a part of this band now - of the legacy - I'd better know where it came from." Kenny (Hallman) and the original drummer Rick Nemes hosted the Muchmusic Power Hour back in '87 or '88 and they were planning to put out the next album, but at that time they were signed to Roadrunner Records, who had just started out then so they were signing bands left and right without even having heard them. So INFERNAL got dropped off the label. That's why there's a gap from '87 to '98 when "Unholier Than Thou" came out, because they were funding all of the recording. They put out a four or five-song demo tape in '96 with a guy called Vince, but they don’t really like to talk about that guy. Then Bailey left the band for a time there. He had some personal problems that he had to take care of so he couldn't dedicate as much time as was needed for INFERNAL, so they let him go.
I don't know how they found Vince, but he didn't last very long.
What happened with Chris Bailey not being in the band anymore?
Well, personally I've never met him, but he's been in the band on and off for 17 years so obviously I have to give him credit for his singing and writing abilities. I know the two guitarists (Ken and Steve) write the lyrics too, but he had been writing some of those lyrics too. Obviously being in this band for that long, he had to have been doing something right. I know that a lot of the fans don't know what became of him this time around - like "What happened? Why isn't he in the band anymore?" To be quite honest, Kenny, Steve, and the other guys haven't seen or heard from him since August 2004. So they don't even know where he is.
Really?
Yeah. As far as they know he's back in Toronto, but they haven't heard anything from him since.
He just disappeared?
Kind of - I don't know. Nobody knows where he is.
So there was no formal parting of ways? He just left?
That was the strangest part and really put me in an odd position because for the first three months of me being in the band, I thought "Can I say that I'm the singer for INFERNAL MAJESTY? I don't know." They didn't want to post anything on the website because it would go straight to Blabbermouth. They attempted to contact Chris (Bailey) quite a few times. He doesn't have a fixed residence so it's really difficult to get a hold of him as far as I know. He has a cell phone - he'd never pick it up. So after 2-3 months of trying to tell him that he'd been replaced they just left a message on his cell phone and hopefully he got it. I'm assuming he did but they never heard from him about it. But the last time they talked to him they said "There's going to a band meeting and some things are going to be discussed." Bailey lives in Toronto and the rest of the band lives in Vancouver. Greg from CRADLE TO GRAVE did the last six shows that they had before I came into the picture.
Bailey wouldn't even come out from Toronto to do the shows with his band. So the guys were like, "Obviously we're going to need to get a replacement." And then I came into the picture.
Do you know if there is any bad blood between Bailey and the rest of the band?
Well, I can't really speak for them. I know that Eric has said on a couple of occasions that Bailey was wicked for his lyrics and his phrasing. We're writing the new album now; it's just about done. There have been a couple of times during practice where Steve and Kenny will say something to me like, "Well, normally what we would do with Bailey is...." - and then they'll go off and say whatever it was. I know that they worked with him for so long that it's pretty difficult, but I have to keep reminding these guys that I'm not him (laughs).
And what do they say in response?
They just say, "I guess it's been so long that we're used to it." I guess being in a band together on and off for 17 years you come to know what to expect from everybody. When you throw me into the mix I'm a big question mark. Nobody knows what I'm capable of or what I can and can't do. As far as I know they're really happy with the way I sound. If you notice, Bailey's voice changes considerably from "None Shall Defy" to "One Who Points To Death". Not that I'm trying to sound like him - I'm not trying to pull a "Ripper" Owens (laughs) trying to sound like Halford. Even at practice - and at the last show - I can sing just like he (Bailey) would. I'm actually a bigger fan of the way the band sounds now as opposed to back in '87. I'm still a fan of how they sounded in '87 but I think they're definitely moving in the right direction now - not that they weren't before - but I really like where the band is going now - sound-wise.
Brian, in your words, what do you feel that you bring to the table in the band's ranks?
Well, obviously - not to slag any of them - especially Steve and Kenny - I am like half their age (laughs). "None Shall Defy" came out when I was four (laughs).
(Laughs)
I think it's really interesting. Steve and Kenny have the hardcore fans from the late '80s and then Eric and Kris are in there - they're about 30 or so - so they have that generation - and then there's me - this young punk at 22 bringing in all these new people. So, it kind of works out well with the age thing. I've been playing guitar and singing ever since I can remember - like 5 or 6 years old. AC/DC is where it's at (laughs). I listen to a lot of music and I know what INFERNAL are looking for. I've written half the lyrics for the new album and they're pretty happy with the way it sounds.
You played your first-ever live gig with the band on May 21. How was the overall response from the fans?
They all seemed to love it. One of the local promoters said that I blew Bailey out of the water, but I take all that - the good and bad - with a grain of salt. I wasn't necessarily happy with my performance that night. I was really nervous obviously - it being my first show with them and I think me being nervous did come out on stage a little bit. But we did another show not too long ago on June 24 and we got rave reviews from that show. We're really looking forward to September 15 when we play Richard's On Richards with OVERKILL.
Let's talk about the new album.
We're waiting for producer JF Dagenais (KATAKLYSM - guitars/producer). He's going to be behind the dials on this album. As far as I've been told he's not available until September. It's kind of a blessing in disguise because that means we get to rehearse the new album more. It's not like we're writing songs in the studio. We'll have it down when we go in there. I think when you write an album - parts of it this month then you take five months off then write another song - if you space out the writing too long, to me it almost loses its power. If you write it all in one swoop and you practice it up - you don't take time off - by the time you get to the studio it's going to be that much tighter and it makes for a solid album in my opinion.
I can understand what you mean.
With INFERNAL's songs too, the guitar parts and the drumming especially are really intricate. You write a song and then for whatever reason it gets pushed back - you come back a couple months later - because this stuff is so difficult and intricate to play, these guys forget to play it and the song has to be changed. You've got to hate it when that happens. It has happened a couple of times from what I've heard. It hasn't happened in this album though.
It's great that you are working with JF Dagenais.
Yeah. I've heard nothing but good things about him and he was really interested to work with INFERNAL MAJESTY so we were pretty stoked about that. I feel that he will really bring out the best qualities in INFERNAL MAJESTY and really make us sound tight. We're really looking forward to this new album, especially Kenny and Steve. I see nothing but good things in the future for this band.
What can fans expect from the new album?
The guitar is going to be very complex - very big-sounding. The vocals - not to say that I'm going to be singing like clean vocals or anything like that, but I can definitely do the low growls and the high screams. I can do the Halford banshee wails but they won't like that (laughs). It doesn't really suit INFERNAL either. When I sing the songs, I obviously look at how Bailey WOULD do them, but at the same time, I try to bring something new and fresh - give it my kind of stamp of approval on it or whatever. I think they’re really going to like the sound on it. I know the Coach (Eric DeBoer) has been practicing harder. His drumming is even more insane than it was on "One Who Points To Death". My jaws just drop. I watch the Coach drum all the time and I don't know how he does it.
Of course, another great Vancouverite is Gene Hoglan.
Yeah. Gene actually gave Kris a lesson once and for "One Who Points To Death", he came in to the studio and tuned up Kris' drum kit before they recorded the album. So that's an interesting tidbit of knowledge.
Have you had any formal vocal training?
Nope - all self-taught. Actually this is a funny story. The way I learned was - I was about five years old - this is going to sound odd but I'm a huge Weird Al Yankovic fan too, and I'd be watching his videos on Muchmusic back in the mid-late '80s. I'd be singing along to his videos trying to mimic his voice and my mom would walk over to turn the TV down because she thought it was turned up too loud. But it wasn't the TV that was loud - it was me singing along with it. She couldn't tell the difference (laughs). That's pretty much how I learned how to sing - along with Weird Al, Bon Scott, early SABBATH, and obviously some ZEPPELIN too. But none of singing along to that stuff really prepared me for the type of singing that I have to do in INFERNAL. I've been pulling it off, especially at the last show I mentioned earlier. I've found a balance where it doesn't hurt my vocal chords. I don't know how I do it - it just happens.
I do have my guilty pleasure before going on stage though - and all singers will tell you that it's horrible - but it helps cool my throat. I drink chocolate milk. They say "Oh, stay away from that." But no. It does the trick for me. It makes it a lot easier. I mean at practice I'll drink a pop or have some water or eat some food and Steve asks, "How can you sing like that on a full stomach? It should come up!" (laughs). But because they're so used to working with Bailey they always tell me, "Whoa! Pace yourself. If you don't want to sing tonight, you don't have to." And I'm just like "I drove out here to sing. I'm going to sing." - "Oh, but we don't want you to hurt your voice." And I say, "Don't worry about it. I can do it." I guess towards the last days with Bailey, he'd do two songs in one practice and then say, "Oh, sorry. That's it. My voice - I can't do it anymore."
I guess they were surprised that I'd be singing 15-16 songs a night and then still have enough in me to have another band practice with MECHA MESSIAH right after. You know, that's like five hours of singing! (laughs)
Most singers will tell you that smoking isn't good for the vocal chords either. What's your take on that?
Well, regardless, I don't smoke anything anyway. Maybe it's just some conscious thing but I think if I smoke it's going to damage my vocal chords, so I don't want to smoke anything. Also, the shows are so intense. With INFERNAL, I'm head banging the whole time - even when I'm singing - and it's so hot, especially in the summer time - in those leather pants. It's so hot that I don't want to drink any beers because I'm going to be so dehydrated up there because I am already anyway. But after the show I definitely say it's okay to have one or two beers, but definitely no smoking.
Well, that's good that you don't want to do anything to jeopardize anything.
No. I figure the fans are paying "x" amount of dollars to come see a show. You better give them a show. If you half-ass it they're not going to be happy about it and they're going to let you know that they're not happy about it in one form or another. Either they're not going to pick up the next album or they're not coming out to any more shows. So it's really important that you put on your best performance every night. I try to do that and I know the other guys do too. We're our own hardest critics. If you're so proud and happy of what you've done, you hope that other people will not necessarily latch onto it and say "Oh, this is great! This is wonderful!" - even if they don't appreciate the form of music that we play, as long as they sit back and have the awareness to say, "Wow! What they're doing with those instruments is insane. I don't LIKE what I'm hearing, but I have to hand it to them. That's really impressive." And even decent common courtesy like that is hard to find nowadays.
If it's not a certain form of metal, nobody will even give it any credibility. I love all kinds of metal.
What's your take on the Vancouver metal scene?
Well, I wasn't legal to get into bars until 2002 but I started doing shows in 2001 (laughs). So before 2001, I really don't know. Every so often I'll run into some people and they'll talk about "the glory days" of metal. But I think since I started doing shows, it has picked up. Obviously, the one thing that really annoys me is the local shows - be it at The Brickyard, The Red Room or Richard's On Richards. What really gets me shaking my head is on a Friday/Saturday night you've got 20-30 people showing up for a show and then STRAPPING YOUNG LAD plays the Commodore and it's sold out! Look at all these metalheads! Where did they come from? So I think it's an issue of raising awareness of local bands. Also, a lot of times - and I'm sure it's not intentional - you'll have two or three different metal shows going on the same night in different venues.
So you have a fairly small group of metal people that actually come to the underground metal shows and then on top of that you split that group into three by having three shows on the same night. That definitely doesn't help matters. I would definitely like to see it get better. The last show we did on June 24 at The Brickyard with MUSPELLHEIM and ANATOLIAN WISDOM, there were maybe 150-200 people there - which I guess is a fair sized crowd for The Brickyard - but out of all the shows that I've ever been to I've never seen a mosh-pit that was that crazy and intense. I look back on that night and I'm surprised nobody got hurt. It was just unreal.
Is there anything that you'd like to relay to our readers?
Just keep supporting metal. I'd like to see people out at the next show - pick up a t-shirt, but an album - just be there. Be part of something. Don't sit at home on the computer (laughs). Make some new friends and have a good time! [FIN]
» Official INFERNAL MAJESTY Website
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