Al Hodge: "Right now Mark Talamo (drummer) and I are discussing our schedule to start working on the second half of "The Abuse". The record was supposed to be an ep, but we wrote some more songs that fit in with the subject matter. 7 songs are mixed and done, the other 6 or 7 need to be recorded and added to the rest of the record. We are also working on putting together a video for one of the songs. We’ll do what we always do if it comes out good we’ll stick it out on our web site".

AoP: There has been quite a break since your last album in 97. What should we expect from the next release?

AH: "Our last record came out in 1997, which was called "The Survival Kit", that was a roller coaster of tracks. I was just starting to try to sing on that one. There was still a lot of bark type vocals on that it. At that time I was trying to get away from that shit. Going back and listening to it now, there are some things that I wish I had done differently. But anyone who plays music goes through that. Each record is like a picture of where you were at the time. There are some really good songs on that one that will still show up in a live set when we play. On the "The Abuse", I don’t do any barking, I sang on it. I find it is a lot more focused, and there is a general theme that runs through it. The frame of mind we were and are still in is that we want to make a great record like the ones we grew up on like "Diary of a Madman" by OZZY, or "Screaming for Vengeance" by JUDAS PRIEST. I can still listen to those records and jam to every track. A lot of bands that are out now tend to find one mode and run it into the ground. If you were to just skip through those cds track by track, there would be no differences between the songs. It’s like looking at a picture of a set of identical twins and trying to find something unique about each one. I think we’ll lose some fans because it’s not the same old drivel. I don’t want to come across as some old fart that has lost touch with what’s happening. I always hated when band guys got time warped. I think we have our roots, but we also have started to grow some new branches".

AoP: When is it due?

AH: "As soon as we record the second half of the record we’ll stick it out. I think it will be in the summer of 2002".

AoP: What was your reason for such a long break when Tungsten were getting so much attention?

AH: "We’re lazy and we are perfectionists. We actually wrote an album’s worth of stuff in 1998 and 1999, but we scrapped it and started from scratch with this new stuff. I think we will eventually release that stuff to our website, after the new album comes out".

AoP: Who are your musical influences?

AH: "All of us basically grew up listening to metal but each one of us in the band have different influences. Mark Talamo (drums) was a big Clive Burr (IRON MAIDEN) fan. He digs TYPE O NEGATIVE and PARADISE LOST too. Mark and Steve (bass) use to play RIOT and TYGERS OF PAN TANG songs at practice. So some of the older bands left there mark on them. I grew up on OZZY, JUDAS PRIEST, IRON MAIDEN, THE MISFITS, METALLICA, EXCITER and W.A.S.P. Those were the bands that got me started then I got into CARNIVORE, TYPE O NEGATIVE, PARADISE LOST, TURBONEGRO and some other bands later on. I think I’ll always be a music fan. It’s fun to discover music that I never gave a chance to before, like JUNIOR BROWN for example. As long as I never get jaded like so many band guys do, I’ll always find some influence in what ever I hear whether it be good or bad, because as a player you can learn from both types of music".

AoP: What is your favorite Tungsten track?

AH: "If you ask anybody that plays music, it will always be something they just wrote. Well I’m no exception to that rule. I’m really into some of the new yet to be recorded songs that I have on my computer in demo form. I think each record has a real gem on it. On "183.85" I really like "I Feel Today", that song oozes pure metal from every aspect of it. On "74" I dig "Nothing Left", I don’t like the way I sang on the album version, but we have a version that we recorded in 1996 with different vocals that really rocks. I think we will eventually put that out as a bonus track somewhere in the future. On "The Survival Kit", I would have to say it’s "The Last". That song is full of texture. The outpouring of emotions on that one really comes through. On "The Abuse" so far it’s a tie between "Now It’s My Turn", "Who Are You" and "It’s The Only Thing She Knows". I feel that those songs are cousins to "The Last" from "TSK". There’s a lot of dynamics happening in those. But you’ll have to be the judge these are just my opinions of the songs. It has more merit coming from somebody outside of the band".

AoP: What is your favorite all time song?

AH: "Probably "Mr. Crowley" from OZZY. That was one of the first "metal" songs that I heard when I was a kid. That song gives me chills whenever I hear it. Randy Rhoads is my favorite guitarist. The stuff he played on the first two OZZY solo records was amazing. I have tons of tunes that mean something to me like stuff from JUDAS PRIEST, THE MISFITS, BLACK SABBATH and a few others, but I think that "Mr. Crowley" will always be on top of it".

AoP: What would be your dream metal line-up?

AH: "To have KARI RUESLATTEN the first singer of THE THIRD AND THE MORTAL work with either TYPE O NEGATIVE or PARADISE LOST. That woman’s voice is amazing! My 2 other dream line-ups have already happened. The IRON MAIDEN and JUDAS PRIEST line-ups from 1982, God how I wish I could have seen that at the Hammersmith Odeon with MOTORHEAD opening the show. Man I need a time machine!"

AoP: What has been your favorite place to tour?

AH: "We have never toured. I don’t think we will either. We are more like a side band, but this is our main band. We’ve played around the Louisiana area. I think we go over well in our hometown of Chalmette, Louisiana. I like playing close to home because we can take a shower after we play then go and have fun drinking after the show. I think it would be interesting to tour, but our regular lives come first. This is an outlet for us. I think when a band tours they turn into a cover band. It’s a job and it’s not fun anymore. Some people dig it, but we are not cut out for it. We get bored too easy. We would probably do what the MELVINS do and just make up stuff on the spot just to relief the boredom".

AoP: Do you have any funny stories to share with us?

AH: "When I was doing the vocals for the track "ETOH" on "The Survival Kit", I was in the control room singing and Mark Talamo was working the recorder. I was standing about 3 feet away from him while I was singing the last two line of the song. Out of the corner of my eye I saw him slide down the back of his chair. He stuck his legs up in the air and let out a really loud hideous fart. I had to hold back from laughing as I sang. We played the tape back and the fart was captured on it. We left it on there and it made it to the final mix of the record. Only Mark and I knew about that".