Ελληνικά
Last Updated on 09:51 PM by Giorgos Tsekas
Five years after their last album ‘17th Street’ (2011), Hammers of Misfortune return with a brilliant album. John Cobbett, the guy responsible for the lyrics and the songwriting, worked his magic again and delivered ‘Dead Revolution’, a release that leans more towards a heavy sound, a back to the basics release. So, we took the opportunity to talk with him about this new effort and the future of Hammers of Misfortune.
Thank you very much for this interview and congratulations on “Dead Revolution”. Even though it’s been 5 years since your last album with all the activities and projects and other bands your members are involved how easy was t to find time for recording this album?
It was not easy at all. Not only do you have to coordinate everything around other band’s schedules, but once the baby arrived, everything got much more difficult. We had to get a babysitter any time we did anything with the album. I’ll admit that it was quite difficult!
A lot of things changed in your private life in these 5 years and of course line-up changes, how did this affected on you and how these changes are reflected on your music?
The stuff that happens in everyday life doesn’t have a direct effect on the songs, that I know of. I don’t write about myself or my own life. I try to write about situations or tell stories. It seems a lot of bands are just singing about themselves and their pathetic, boring little feelings (Especially in America.) It gets so old. You won’t find very many instances of the first person “I” in our lyrics.
Of course, if a new musician comes into the band, that will definitely, obviously have an effect on the sound. Also, you could say that your personal stuff always seeps through your music somehow, like a toxic gas. There’s no way to stop that from happening, and most of the time you can’t even see it until much later, hindsight and all that.
Are these changes responsible for the darker and heavier approaching on “Dead Revolution”?
No, I don’t think so. That’s the result of our attitude going in, the songs I was writing, our new drummer (Will), and the studio where we recorded. A lot of circumstances conspired toward that result. Part of it was intentional, part of it was just luck.
Can you tell us about the title “Dead Revolution” and its meaning?
Put it this way: I hear a lot of people rambling on about “revolution”, and they’re all full of shit. A lot of people claim they are trying to make world a better place, but they aren’t. They’re trying to make the world a better place for themselves and people like them, and they’re trying hard to look like they actually give a shit about anyone but themselves. There’s a LOT of posturing going on out there. Ah, social media…
A great cover on ‘Days of ‘49’, a folk song about the Gold Rush of 1849. Why you’ve chosen this specific song?
There’s a gold rush going on in San Francisco right now. It’s called the tech bubble. Every boom has it’s bust. “Days of ’49” is a tale told from after one such bust.
Have ever thought of recording a cover album like Metallica or something?
Yeah, I’ve thought of it, but I doubt it’ll ever happen. Making an album takes huge amounts of time and money. I can’t see spending all those resources on other people’s songs. I wish we had the luxury of doing stuff like that! It sure would be fun…
As you had 5 years of preparing the album are there any other material, some leftovers that you will use in a future release or 7”?
Well, there’s one really goofy song that went on the Japanese CD release. I don’t know, it’s pretty goofy. Not sure if I want anyone to hear it, actually. I mean, it’s a weird song.
Which is the procedure you follow on choosing the right material for the album?
I try to write more than enough music, and then trim the fat. Ideally there will be at least one or two extra songs (we only had one this time), so we can go with the strongest material. Also, sometimes I’ll take a really long song and just gut it, cut out all the unnecessary stuff. This usually occurs at practice, before we go in to record.
Can you tell us about the artwork and how it relates to the music?
The artwork already existed before we made the album. I found the artist (Robert Steven Connett) online and contacted him. He agreed to license his work for our album and I was very grateful! I picked out two of his paintings to use, ones that reminded me of images in the lyrics. You can see the Confessor from “The Velvet Inquisition” on the front. Also the burning city from “Flying Alone”. The back cover really reminded me of “The Precipice”.
Any plans for shows in support of the album? And if so, will we be seeing you in Greece?
Unfortunately, everyone is so busy right now we can’t seem to book a tour. Plus, with a two year old, we’ll have to keep it to some festivals or just a weekend here or there. That being said, we’re open to offers!
What does the future hold for Hammers of Misfortune? Shall we have to wait another 5 years to hear news from you?
I don’t think so. I’m looking forward to getting started on another Hammers (and VHÖL) album. I have some Ideas on how to streamline the process. I just moved my family out of California, into the mountains. The new environment will surely be an inspiration for new music!
Do you have any closing words for the readers of Metal Invader?
Hail Greece! Hope to see you soon! If anyone wants to fly us out there for a show, please get in touch!
