CACTUS BASTARD INTEVIEW #2
"CACTUS BASTARD: BACK AND BETTER THAN EVER"
By Justin Terrilin, Good Rock Digest
January 19th, 1996
After eight years of great albums, monumental tours, and quite possibly their greatest success ever -- their last album, Melfina -- Cactus Bastard prepares for yet another album, following closely on Melfina's heels. Foregoing a triumphal tour for Melfina, the boys in Cactus Bastard decided to follow up their amazing success with another studio album, mere months after the release of their last one. Now, reporter Justin Terrilin speaks with the group about their upcoming album -- There Goes the Neighborhood.
GRD: So, fellas, what can you tell me about your new album?
Dave Thorngage: Well, it's a lot like our other albums, but with some changes. But my vocals are as good as ever!
Chris "Lothar" DeCracken: I'll field that one, Justin. Actually, There Goes the Neighborhood is very different from our previous albums. We've gone a lot farther into the realm of kick-your-dog-and-steal-your-neighbor's-truck metal and lost or ignored most of Dave's input to the contrary. Also, this album is a concept album.
GRD: A concept album? Can you explain that a little more?
Tony "Scythe" Lear: In some ways it's a throwback to the old "concept album" days of bands like Rush and The Who, and in others its inspired by the newer concept albums of extreme metal bands such as Fear Factory.
L: The basic concept is that these kids get thrown into this alternate dimension, see, which is portrayed by the opening song, "The Warp Zone." Then they wind up going through these various dimensions of good and evil, and all the songs reflect the serious fluxations of good versus evil which they encounter. For instance, ...
S: What he's trying to say is that all the songs are interconnected. And, without giving anything away, I'd like to say that I think it's a GREAT album.
DT: Scythe thinks it could become the next Pedophilia.
S: That's Quadrophenia.
DT: Whatever. Anyway, I have put my personal seal of approval on this album, so it must be good.
GRD: Well, speaking of yourself, Dave, you've gotten into some trouble lately. Would you care to comment on it?
DT: What do you mean?
John "Grim" Evenwood: I think he's talking about the infamous "Dave Thorngage Project" incident, Dave.
DT: Oh, that? That was such a piece of sh*t... I mean, if I ever get my hands on those cops, I'm gonna rip their f*cking c*cks off... real mutilation...
GRD: Dave! Dave, calm down! I meant, would you care to comment on how the incident came about?
Art Mourn: I can comment. Basically, Dave got caught with his hands in the cookie jar and now he's using every trick in the book to try to get out of it. Right, Dave?
DT: F*ck you. Here's what really happened: I started this project, completely legit. I'm trying to do my part, help people out, be the good guy. I get hit with these bullsh*t charges for false advertising, fraud, all this sh*t! And these bastards -- the come and lock me up for a whole month!
AM: Must have been really terrible for you. Hope you didn't drop the soap. What Dave forgot to mention, of course -- must have slipped his mind -- is that this big charity project was just a ploy to get more money in his wallet.
DT: You f*cking c*nt! Stop spreading those f*cking lies about me!
AM: It's true! The "Dave Thorngage Project?" Give Dave Thorngage money, that was the "project!"
S: Guys, guys, it's ancient history. Let's just forget about it, okay? Dave did his time. It's over.
GRD: Yeah, maybe we should pick a different subject. How about you, Lothar? You've been pretty silent. What do you have to say about the recent events in your life?
L: Well, Justin, I'm sure everyone knows by now that I've been addicted to sugar for several years.
S: I've known it for almost a year, and I still can't believe it! I wondered how he had so much energy...
L: What a lot of people probably don't know is how I've changed my life since then. Since I came clean eight months ago, I've been through rehab. I've done that. But then I did something that changed my life.
GRD: And what was that?
L: One night, I was sitting in my room in the Betty Ford Center, just thinking about what my life had become. I had a book with me, a present Scythe gave me to keep me occupied while I was in there -- a book on Aztec history.
GRD: You became a historian?
L: No, much better than that. I picked up the book and started reading it... and I couldn't put it down. I read about the Aztec god, Quetzacoatl, and something just clicked. I thought, "that's what I've been looking for all these years."
GRD: A book on Aztec gods?
L: No! Justin, I am glad to say that I have found redemption through the worship of Quetzacoatl.
GRD: So you cleaned up your act and found religion worshipping an ancient god who hasn't been actively worshipped in five hundred years?
G: Can you believe it?
L: You wouldn't believe what Quetzacoatl has revealed to me, Justin. It's like I'm looking at a whole different world now. The other night, he came to me in a dream and...
GRD: All right, let's move to another subject before our readers flee in abject terror. Grim, tell us about yourself. What have you been up to lately?
G: Well, not much, really. I've been involved with the band, of course. And being a member of Cactus Bastard doesn't leave one with a lot of free time to pursue other interests.
GRD: Okay... that was, er, informative. Art Mourn, how about you? Are you still the wild hellraiser we heard about back in the 80s?
AM: Really, Justin, I don't know what I did to warrant that reputation. Sure, I tore up a few hotel rooms, and I suggested that we destroy the stage at a few of our concerts, but that was what everybody did back then. I was just going with the flow.
GRD: If it's good enough for Ozzy, it's good enough for you, eh?
AM: Something like that. Now, I've dedicated myself to different things.
GRD: Like what?
AM: Like families. Did you know, it's becoming more and more popular for rock stars to make their families known? I predict that in a few years, it will be the new "in" thing.
GRD: Interesting theory. So, you like to show off your family?
AM: Yeah. I've got a beautiful wife, two great kids, and I love to shove them into the camera whenever I get the chance. I mean, the more publicity the better, right?
GRD: Well, I guess so, but don't you want to protect them from the eye of the increasingly intrusive media?
AM: That sort of thing might work well for the other guys, but not me. I want the public to know about my family. I want them to know my kids ages, birthdays, and what sort of cake they like. I want my daughter to be getting perverted fan mail from 40-year-old weirdos in a few years.
GRD: Uh... you want that?
AM: Hell yeah! I mean, call me crazy, but you can't buy that kind of publicity! Every time the papparatzi takes a picture of one of my kids in the can, I think, "my fame just went up another notch."
GRD: But, don't you want to protect your family because you care about them?
AM: What? Uh, sorry, Justin, I must've been distracted. I didn't really undestand your last question.
GRD: Sheesh. Never mind. We'll go on to Scythe. What's in your schedule right now?
S: Well, I have a pretty full plate right now, what with the new album -- you know, writing songs, rehearsals, taking care of advertising, organizing the tour, and babysitting Dave.
DT: Hey!
S: Yeah, the other guys saddled me with that one, too. It's a good thing Lothar's taking care of the art for the tour posters, or I'd be totally swamped.
GRD: Uh, Scythe, you realize that most of the things you mentioned are traditionally handled by agents or advertisers?
DT: Well, of course, if you want to go with an agent. But Cactus Bastard has never been the "Hollywood" sort of band. We don't swing like that. We've never been the type to go out and pay for an agent to do that sort of thing. I mean, why pay for an agent when you can just get Scythe to do it?
GRD: Scythe, what do you think of this philosophy?
S: Hey, if I can do it and save the group some money, more power to me.
GRD: But don't you ever think that it might be easier for you to put off some of that responsibility on one of the other members?
S: Hey, if I was into doing what was "easier" I wouldn't be in a rock-and-roll band. Besides, the others all have things to do too. Chris has to write, and you know how tough that can be. Art's got his family to take care of, John's got the producing, and Dave's got that whole mansion to clean...
G: Uh, you do realize that Dave has servants to clean the mansion for him?
S: Really? That's not what he told me. But Dave's pretty busy, too, I can assure you. You don't put together a scam on the level of "the Dave Thorngage Project" in a few minutes.
DT: Why you rat-bastard...
GRD: Don't make me bring a muzzle, Dave. Well, guys, do you have anything else to say before the end of the interview?
L: Yeah... our next album is going to be even better than the last one... and I think the public is really going to dig the deep inner meanings of these songs. I mean, I really put my heart into it.
GRD: Yeah... okay. Well, thank you, Cactus Bastard. I hope to see your new album soon.
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