D-Day's Revenge...

Speak Your Mind!

Collossus is an outstanding band out of NC and I'm happy to help spread the word! They have that great power metal sound that I'm sure many will enjoy.

Members Doza and Andy both answered some questions, and that's always fun! Enjoy, and be sure to check them out!

D-Day: Thank you for speaking with D-Day's Revenge!

Doza: Thanks to you for being interested in Colossus!  As the new drummer in the band, I figure this is my chance to be heard.

Andy- Rock on dude

D-Day: How long has Collossus been together as a band?

Doza: Beats me, but I’ve been a fan of Colossus since I first heard them a few years ago. I’ve been to about 7 of their shows over the years, and I would always think about how cool it would be to be up there on stage with them.  I found out they were auditioning drummers in Dec. 2009, and I went for it and got the gig. I’ve been so stoked ever since!

Andy- to my knowledge Colossus started in 2005. I joined in the fall of 2007 when Nick Perry was leaving to attend Law School at Harvard.

D-Day: You guys have a wonderful, old-school power metal sound. Who or what were your inspirations in music?

Doza: The first question for a drummer playing metal is how much double kick should I use?  As the new drummer in this band, I was tempted to bring in my double bass, which the original drummer did not use, but after talking it over with the band, we decided to keep it old school, and see how much I can do with a single kick drum. So, my influences are the drummers who used mainly single kick: Nicko McBrain, Bill Ward, John Bonham, and Vinnie Appice.  I also love some of what’s going on now, like what Brann Dailor of Mastodon is doing, or Thomas Pridgen from the Mars Volta.  My roots have always been and always will be with Dave Grohl. I was a kid when Nirvana first came out, and now that I’m in my 30’s I keep coming back to the simple power that Dave Grohl has.

As the new drummer for Colossus, I’m trying to carry on the spirit of what Ben Smith, the original Colossus drummer was doing, which to me was a mix of respect for the songs, and not just putting fills everywhere, and a sense of groove.  Instead of thinking, how can I make myself look awesome here, I’m thinking, how can I make the vocals stand out, or bring up the intensity to match the guitars?  So far, it’s been a freaking blast.  Being in this band is every bit as fun as I thought it would be.

Andy- I grew up listening to 80's metal bands, so I try to channel a lot of those players. I draw inspirations from various guitarist like Joe Satriani, Marty Friedman, Neal Schon, and even old Kirk Hammett stuff.

D-Day: If you had the power to put Collossus on tour with any three bands for a world-wide tour, who would they be and why?

Doza: 1. Mastodon. They rock hard, and they are mixing up the old school metal sound and simultaneously pushing the envelope. Their live show is just killer.

2. Slayer. Enough said. Fucking Slayer.

3. Maiden. Besides being the mother of all Metal bands, their 747 would make for the best tour ever.

D-Day: Do you have any upcoming music releases or recently released that you can tell us about?

Doza: The Drunk On Blood ep is awesome. Vinyl only. Wendigo is my favorite track off that one. It used to be Ghostfucker, but Wendigo has actually surpassed Ghostfucker for me.

D-Day: How about upcoming shows? Would you like to tell us about those for anyone able to attend?

(note from editor: Neither person answered this one. But be sure to check out their pages to see upcoming shows! www.myspace.com/thecolossuswillcrushyou )

D-Day: The internet is a lovely tool for finding new bands and music. It's how I discovered you, of course. But there has already been much drama in the recent past concerning music downloading. If you were about to release an album only to find out that 1000 people had already downloaded it for free.... would you see that as advertising or stealing? What are your thoughts or solution to the matter?

Doza: I would think, holy shite, 1000 people want music that I’m playing on? Honestly, the way I see it is that the music industry never saw the whole download thing coming b/c they never imagined that people would go to so much trouble to share music without getting any money out of it. How can it be illegal to share your music library with people if you are not making any money? It’s not stealing, it’s sharing. Stealing implies that you are making a gain or profit from something. No matter how you look at it, I don’t see there being much of a way to control it or stop it.

So the model has to evolve and bands and the industry are figuring out how to deal with the paradigm shift that has been happening for the past 10 years.  From what I can tell, bands focus more on live shows and merchandise than the actual songs for sources of $$. It’s not the end of the music industry, it’s just a change, and there’s nothing that Lars Ulrich or the music industry can do to stop it. 

For me, vinyl has been a refreshing way to get music. I work on a computer all day long, and sometimes, I just want to get away from the computer and  sit down with some records and relax.  I order records from wherever for less $$ than the shipping costs, and every once in a while I get a package with an old school Led Zeppelin vinyl, and it’s awesome.

Andy- I would be quite surprised to have that many downloads. As far as a solution I don't have one. I just wish people were more receptive to buying merch (cds, vinyl, or any recorded format) at shows. That's how bands get by when they are touring. It seems that its hard for a band to go out on the road and sell a lot of recorded product in a live show scenario.

D-Day: Tell us about your current label. And do you have a desire to be on a major label in the future? I can only imagine that there is some more creative freedom on the indies, but then we all want more money...

Doza: I’m really not in this for the money. Money is nice and all, but I just love the music, love playing the drums, love being on a stage, and love all the people involved. For me, it’s that simple.  I’m not really interested in the business side of it, and honestly wouldn’t even know where to begin.

Andy- A desire for a major label is definitely a dream we all have. For right now I think we would be happy with finding a bigger label who will represent, promote, and distribute to much bigger audience.

D-Day: Let's try a multiple choice question: Collossus is on a train in Europe bound for the Wacken Open Air Festival when suddenly the  train stops, all the power is lost and the train goes dark. Which of the following would be your first reaction?

a) You think, "Oh shit! We'll be late!"

b) You hope no one tries to steal your drink.

c) You remember a large chested woman sitting near you and sieze the opportunity for a feel.

d) You shit your pants.

e) other...

Doza: I would think, oh shit, we’re gonna be late, while simultaneously sipping my drink, touching some boobs, and shitting my pants.  It would be an ugly scene, but totally worth it to touch some boobs.

Andy- Dude i would crap my pants if we were offered to play Wacken and could make it. That fest has so many awesome bands i love that play there every year. My heart would sink and i probably would blow a fuse if that was a situation we were in. Especially if we made it to Europe only to have something like that happen. Playing in Europe is a dream i have had forever. No Telling what Bill would do.

D-Day: Every band has some sort of odd or crazy happenings or Spinal Tap moments at some point in their careers. Can you tell us any stories of such events for Collossus? Such as any equipment or wardrobe malfunctions, promoter problems, zany fans, someone shit their pants onstage, etc... you get the idea.

Doza: Ah my first show!!! It was ridiculous.  Ry, the bass player, was having some trouble with his rig crapping out on him. So in the middle of the second song or so he was trying to fix it. A dude from one of the other bands was gracious enough to bring his gear up so Ry could borrow it. While he was trying to rig it up, he accidentally unplugged Andy’s guitar! So we lost the bass and the rhythm guitar right in the middle of Bill’s lead part. It was just the drums and a lead guitar solo, Andy’s standing there playing with no sound coming out, and me and Bill were just looking at each other and laughing, like what the fuck?!  We eventually got it all together and rocked the rest of the show, but that was my first live show experience with Colossus. Gotta love it.

Andy- That's the story of the Colossus life...always something bad or weird will happen. You just have to roll with it.  As Freddie Mercury once said "Show Must Go On" .Yes we have had lots of equipment malfunctions, van issues, and even making it to a show where the Promoter didn't even bother to come to show or call to let you know that show was canceled. There are times when things just flow like they are suppose to. Ask Sean about any wardrobe malfunctions.

D-Day: What are your goals for the band Collossus?

Doza: I’m stoked to do some recording.  I love being in the studio and creating a piece of music that you can listen to over and over.  I have some recording gear at my place, and we are planning on doing some rough sessions at my place, working out the bugs, and then taking the songs to a real studio.

Andy- To melt everyone's face

D-Day: Thank you once again for speaking with D-Day's Revenge! Any final words, plugs etc for the fans?

Doza: Thanks for supporting music and keep doing what you’re doing. When you come see us, come say hi at the shows. I love meeting people and always need a drinking buddy. Cheers!

Andy- Thanks dude for taking the time. Check out our music and dates on our myspace page at www.myspace.com/thecolossuswillcrushyou and on facebook at http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/group.php?gid=135605535319