An interview with MAELSTROM

MAELSTROM are a 5-person thrash band based out of Cincinnati, OH consisting of Casey McKenna, Arnold Sandman, Richard Sandman, Todd Brower, and Aaron Cordell. Here is a short question and answer session recently conducted to give an insight about what they are all about.

• 1. EXPLAIN THE BEGINNING OF THE BAND. HOW YOU ENDED UP WITH THE FIVE MEMBERS OF MAELSTROM.
• CASEY McKENNA (bassist)-Five years ago (1995) I met Richard Sandman (lead guitar), who is Arnold's (lead vocais) brother. Everytime I'd go over to Arnold's house, Richard was playing his guitar. One day Richard asked me if I would be interested in starting a band. The next week I went out and bought a bass without telling Richard. Then I surprised Richard and showed up with my bass and told him I would only join the band if Arnold was the lead singer.
• RICHARD-I told Casey that I thought it was a great idea. The three of us tried to do things with three different drummers and one guitar player before we found Todd (Brower-lead guitarist) and Aaron (Cordell-drummer). I met Todd three years ago when the band he played in, WHITE TRASH, was playing at Bogart's (in Cincinnati, OH). We convinced him to come to our practice and jam. He joined the band the second time he came to practice. Aaron became part of the band by luck. Just a short time after Todd joined the band, we were practicing one day without our drummer, when we heard some kids throwing rocks at the warehouse where we practiced. Arnold and Todd went to find the kids but instead found Aaron and his friends.
• ARNOLD- When we ran behind the warehouse there was a group of guys standing on the railroad tracks. We asked them if they'd seen anything and they said they hadn't so we asked them to join us. As it turned out Aaron loved to play drums and he loved heavy metal. It was when he sat at the drums that MAELSTROM truly began.
• 2. WHAT BANDS ARE CONSIDERED MAELSTROM INFLUENCES?
• AARON-Bands like PANTERA, FEAR FACTORY, old METALLICA, SEPULTURA, SLAYER, and MESHUGGAH.
• 3. WHO ARE SOME OF YOUR PERSONAL INFLUENCES?
• AARON-Tomas Haake of MESHUGGAH, old Lars Ulrich shit, Igoe Cavalera of SEPULTURA, and Vinnie Paul of PANTERA.
• TODD-My personal influences include all of the above-Eddie Van Halen and Steve Vai!
• CASEY-Cliff Burton of METALLICA, Rex of PANTERA, and bands like SLYAER, old METALLICA, IRON MAIDEN, and LIVE.
• RICHARD-Dimebag Darrell of PANTERA, Steve Vai, Kirk Hammett of METALLICA, Dino of FEAR FACTORY, and Todd Brower of MAELSTROM.
• 4. WHAT WAS THE RECORDING PROCESS FOR THE MAKING OF YOUR DEBUT CD, *Intimidating the Fuse*?
• TODD-The recording process involved going to a studio, which will remain anonymous. It tool us a whole year before we realized that the studio did absolutely nothing for us. So we took it upon ourselves to get our own studio and gear. I spent two months mixing every minuscule detail to absolute perfection for what we had and all of the music and production took approximately one year.
• 5. HOW HAS THE RESPONSE BEEN SO FAR?
• ARNOLD-I feel the response to the CD has been very good.
• CASEY-The response of the CD has gone well but I feel it could get better once we get our name out a little more.
• 6. WHAT ARE MAELSTROM'S GOALS FOR THE YEAR 2001?
• CASEY-Get signed with some kind of label. Go on the road more, get our name out and sell more CDs. And if all goes well, another album.

• 7. WHAT ARE YOUR VIEWS ON THE CINCINNATI HEAVY MUSIC SCENE?
• EVERYONE-IT SUCKS!
• CASEY-It pretty much sucks, But we do have a few people like you [Chris Lee], Angela from the Metal Connection, and O.J. from the Metal Zone video show who support the original heavy music scene here in town.
• 8. ANY OTHER BANDS YOU FEEL DESERVE NATIONAL ATTENTION?
• AARON-SINGLE BULLET THEORY (from Philadelphia, PA) and BLOODLINE 4:20 (another Cincinnati band).
• 9. HOW CAN SOMEONE GET A COPY OF YOUR CD IF THEY AREN'T AT ONE OF YOUR SHOWS?
• CASEY-Email the band at maelstrommusic@yahoo.com or write us at 2694 Devilsbackbone Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45233 USA.
• 10. ANY FINAL COMMENTS?
• CASEY-Thanks to Caroline from the NEW ROCK REVIEW for allowing us to be interviewed for her magazine and to Chris Lee for doing the interview.
• ARNOLD-Anyone who is into the extreme-extreme music, extreme sports, extreme whatever, check us out.