Dave: Hi Brian! I appreciate you taking the time to do this. Let's start with the new album. How long has it been out and how is it doing??
Brian: Well it's been out since April and the fan reaction has been amazing. We had a few (100) advanced copies about a month before the release and we sold them within a few days. The CD's are still going fast. We have been very happy with the response from media as well as fans. People are finding that this CD is easy to get into, and are upset it's only 6 songs.
Dave: I did notice there being 6 songs per disc. Why is this?? One thing to mention is the ultra low price the band asks for the cd's via the website. Some very fair prices for these discs.
Brian: We just want to get the discs out there. We are more into the music and playing than we are making money right now. Some day we'd like to be able to do this and survive on it. We realize we are not Slayer, and not going to sell millions of CDs for $14 a piece. We are happy to just break even. We do 6 for both monetary reasons and for a no shit on the CD thing. You see some many CDs from indie bands with 12 songs and 6 suck. Who needs album fillers? We do 6 strong songs, and slam that way. People can come to shows and see more than 6. We also wanted to hold something back in hopes of a label coming and giving us a deal. That lets us move some new songs as opposed to recycling old ones.
Dave: Listening to the back catalogue, you can get a good feel for the progression of the band in terms of songwriting. Where do you see the band going with the next project in the future?? Also, give us your personal feel for each album's style.
Brian: Each album is so different from the last. Scarred for Life was very straight up metal sounding, very Metallica, Iron Maiden, Motorhead-ish. We were very young when we recorded that CD, and we used it as a tool to get the name out there and land some great shows. The CD worked better than we thought, because the track Karate Chop got us tons of media and radio attention in the Philly area. Then came Unholy Trinity, an album we view as a growing phase. We weren't ready to record a new CD when we did that one. There were some problems with styles and direction on the disc. We were like the awkward kid just growing pubic hair or something. It was nuts, because it was this death metal thing that none of us really wanted. We were going so heavy, and heavy turned into fast, turned into a wall of sound. It was a bad recording of a band that was at a crossroads. We basically felt that the CD was not the best we could do, it came out, initially sold well, and then kind of dipped off. We contemplated quitting at that time, but decided to just buckle down, scrap the crap, and move on. As far as the new album goes, it's once again a growth for the band. We're now a 4 piece, we were a 3 piece for almost 5 years. We've now got a new perspective on the entire band experience. We have written new material that is more in the style we are comfortable with, something that is our own, not a direct copy of anyone. We're a metal monster, our new material incorporates the NU metal sound structure, focusing on vocal melody and such, while keeping that signature Chaos Theory heavy sound. We haven't lost the sound that makes us who we are, we've just incorporated other styles to morph it into a better overall experience.
Dave: Let's look at the debut album for a minute. Talk to me about 'Karate Chop'. There is a fair amount of humor here. I hear also that it is a fan favorite at the shows. Give us the inside on the story behind it.
Brian: Karate Chop is basically a song about a guy who used to be a friend of ours. He wanted to join the band when we first got started, but has zero musical talent. He was the kind of guy that thought everyone was out to get him, and that no one gave him a fair shake. Plus he took this non-contact Karate shit too seriously. He felt he could crush anyone who gave him a hard time. But we were like, "Dude, you don't even hit anyone." When we wouldn't let him join he proceeded to start all kinds of trouble in our friends circle. So at practice one day, Dan and I had switched positions and I was busting on one of our friends there. Ernie and I started playing the riff that became Karate Chop, and I moved onto talking shit about Steven. Out of nowhere, we have this Karate Chop thing going, and everyone there loved it. We sat down, I threw some lyrics together and Karate Chop was born. It is probably the only song that has survived the test of time. We still play it when the time is right, but have tried to get past it as well. We didn't want to be the Karate Chop band. But we have fun, enjoy what we do, and don't give a fuck what anyone says. In a recent discovery, we found that he ended up becoming gay. But hey he's immortalized now!
Dave: I like it! That cracks me up. Let's look at the band. How did you guys meet? The band makes a serious amount of noise for 4 guys.
Brian: Dan and Ernie went to high school together, I was a friend of a friend who played in a band with them. Dan and I toyed around in this crap band when Ernie moved to Colorado. Ernie came back in 95' and we all kinda ended up talking about setting something up. Chaos Theory was the product of about 4 or 5 bad bands. We started as a 4 piece, but the bassist we had was too busy being his woman's bitch to come to practice. So Dan picked up the bass and we went on. Craig came into the band in 2000, after I worked with him at a bar in New Brunswick, NJ. I was his manager and we got onto this discussion one day about musicians, he said he was a guitarist, I told him I was in CT and he was like, I've heard of you guys. He came and tried out, and was in after the 1st practice. He revitalized the band.
Dave: What does each band member bring to the band??
Brian: Everyone has his own thing. Ernie is the riff king. He comes up with some crazy ass shit, heavy as hell, and his enthusiasm on stage pumps the rest of us up. Dan is the lyrical master for the most part, as well as our conscience; he is the voice of reason. Craig is the youngster in the band, very into the party aspect of everything. He's got great solo ideas and brings a different dimension to the puzzle. I'm more like the manager, business guy. I've been the promoter, booking agent, spokesman since day one. I try to get some lyrics in there, and always provide a great backbone for our sound. Together it's a great experience when we click.
Dave: How about touring?? I hear that Chaos Theory has shared stages with some pretty solid performers.
Brian: We've been around a lot over the last few years, playing Milwaukee Metalfest the last few, touring Ohio and all of PA. We try to branch out as much as we can, we've got a huge tour of the central states in August, with stops at the Milwaukee Metal fest and the World Series of heavy metal. We've played with bands like Testament, Overkill, Stuck Mojo, Strapping Young Lad, Nevermore, Flotsam and Jetsam, and more. Those are great shows. But it's mostly important to make an impression on the other musicians with your professionalism and dedication. We've had some great meetings and made some great friends.
Dave: How has the touring been going for this album??
Brian: We are trying to play the entire summer very extensively. We're going to Baltimore and Virginia in June, all over NJ in July, and Ohio, Indiana, and Wisconsin in August. We don't intend to let up anytime soon.
Dave: What is the live Chaos Theory experience like??
Brian: When you come to see us live you need to ask yourself what you want to get out of the experience. We can blow you away with the sound, or with the mental connection we try to have with the audience. We write about a good amount of internal struggle. We know that life sucks, ours does sometimes, just like yours does. We want people to understand we are there to help them release their frustrations. Come to the show and help us figuratively fuck shit up.
Dave: You are doing a day gig with Mazur Public Relations. How did you land this??
Brian: Mike has been like a guru for us for the last few years. He saw us at a metal fest in 98, and has been there for us every since. I was out of work for a little while, and he asked if I'd help him temporarily for a few weeks while he needed some help. I came in, the fit was perfect, and I've been here ever since.
Dave: Kind of give us an idea what Mazur does.
Brian: He's a full service public relations company. He does press for many bands from all around the world. Tons of great bands on SPV and Limb from Germany, bands like Savatage, God Forbid, Ritchie Blackmore, and Kansas. This is a great place to work and he's a great guy. The work he does is amazing, he takes shit and makes it gold.
Dave: When can we expect new material from the band in the future?? Is the band in writing mode or do you wait until you project a time period for the release and then get to the writing??
Brian: We are constantly writing new material. We have new songs in our set now, and mostly likely new ones in the next few months. We are waiting to see if we get any offers before we rush back into the studio to record another disc. We don't necessarily need a record company to continue, but we could use the help with distribution, and tour support. We are already a proven winner, we only hope that someone sees that soon, and helps us to the next level. We start a radio campaign on June 25th. That will bring our disc to 320 hard rock/metal stations across the US. We hope that gives us a push, so if your out there, call your station and request us!!! PLEASE!
Dave: Any parting thoughts for old fans and maybe new potential fans??
Brian: We are actually surprised by the amount of people who are surprised that we are down to earth. I guess that there are artists who don't think they need to chill with the fans and connect with them. I'm a fan too, I'm not cocky or high on myself. I love to hear about what you think, The entire band is thrilled when someone drops us an email or comes up to us after a show. Hell we wish more people would do it! You should definatlty give local music in your town a chance, these bands are out there everyday trying to make something out of themselves, and live the dream. We are, and like everyone else, our music is fueled and driven by you. If you're interested in getting your hands on any Chaos Theory material, please visit our website or great places like Amazon.com, Relapse Records mail order, or any record store that utilizes "The Muze". Hope to see you out there at a show soon! Thanks for the interview it's been great!
Dave: Thanks a lot Brian and stay in touch!
