This is an interview I did with Scott Waters back in 05 so it is outdated but thought some of u Ulti freaks would enjoy this rare interview.
Chaz: Please update us if you would on the current
happenings of Ultimatum.
Scott:
Ultimatum is currently recording songs for what will be our
fourth album. We are putting together a three song demo to
send out to some perspective record companies to see if we can
generate any interest. As of now, Ultimatum are no longer
signed to a label. We are also doing various shows around the
Southwest and really hitting our home state hard. We are
doing at least one or two shows a month in the local clubs. On
top of that we are scheduled to play the Beyond the Mountain
festival in California and just got back from performing at
Bless Fest III in California.
Chaz: When and how did the band first come in to being?
Scott:
Our guitarist Robert Gutierrez started Ultimatum in 1992
with Greg Dingess and John Carrol. John and Robert
were together in a band called Holy Sacrifice, along with
guitarist Steve Trujillo. Eventually Steve also joined
Ultimatum too. Robert and Steve have been performing in
bands together since they were teenagers. There were also
both formerly in Angelic Force. I joined Ultimatum in
January of 1993. Prior to my joining, the band had played a
handful of shows with Robert singing. Drummer Sean
Griego joined the band in 1995 shortly before the CD
release of Symphonic Extremeties. We've gone through more
bass players over the years than Spinal Tap has gone through
drummers, but our current bass player, Rob Whitlock has
been with us since 2002 and I don't think he will be going
anywhere any time soon.
Chaz: You were once label mates with my former band
Biogenesis on "Rowe Productions". I believe you released one
album through this label. How was your experience working
with them and most of all it's president Steve Rowe?
Scott:
Steve is a great Man of God. I hold him and his band in the
highest respects. Unfortunately a lot of strange things
happened during that time. First of all many of the Christian
Bookstores refused to carry the CD because of the cover
art. I never could understand that. It's a cartoon puppet! On
top of that, the label really didn't have much in the way of
advertising or distribution. Shortly after "Puppet of
Destruction" came out, Rowe lost their distribution contract
with Diamante. I think Rowe only took out one ad in HM
Magazine. All the rest of the ads in magazines and such, we
took out and paid for ourselves.
I also think Diamante had us mislabeled. I went into a
non-Christian CD store once and saw our CD sitting in the
shelves with the Wynans and Amy Grant. Nobody is going
to look for us there. We are a metal band, not some CCM
gospel band. I spoke to the store manager about it and even
pointed out that Mortification's recently released CD was
sitting in the metal section. He said that Diamante had us
labeled as a gospel band and that it was in the proper section.
How ridiculous! At that point I asked the manager where the
Satanic section was because I wanted to purchase a Mercyful
Fate CD. Metal is metal and we should have been in the
same shelves with Megadeth and Moritification. That's where
people would have looked for our music.
Chaz: Are you currently with a label and if not who would
you like to sign with?
Scott:
As I stated above, no we are in the process of recording a
demo to see what sort of label interest we can generate. I
wouldn't mind being on a label like Massacre or Metal Blade
that knows how to market and sell a metal band like ourselves.
However, even if we don't find label interest, we will just put
out the CD ourselves. We tend to make more money that
way anyhow. LOL!
Chaz: Iv'e heard people compare you to the dude from
Testament a lot. The funny thing is you kinda remind me of
Bon Scott from AC/DC. Of course I don't mean that as
a bad thing. What do you think about that?
I can hear the Bon Scott comparisons, especially on the first
album. Most of the time when people compare me to another
singer, they usually say Blitz from Overkill, Udo
Dirkschneider from U.D.O. or Steve Souza of Exodus.
Either way it doesn't really bother me to be compared to
other singers. If you have to be compared, you might as well
be compared to legendary singers like Udo and Bon Scott.
Chaz:
You have recently performed with the Christian Thrash
band Once Dead formerly known as Vengeance Rising.
How was this experience?
Scott:
That was a blast! I have been a huge Vengeance Rising fan
since about 1987. It was sort of trippy practicing with them
the first time and looking over and seeing Larry Farkas over
there tearing out some leads. I was thinking to myself, "wooooah,
that's Larry Farkas." You know what I mean? All the guys
were very cool and down to earth, but having been a fan for so
long, it was just a real trip for me. The first show we did
together was filmed for a DVD, so that was also a trip. I
mean, at that point I had practiced with them all of three
times, so I was bit shaky on some of the songs. All in all,
however, the DVD came out all right.
Chaz: It is widely known that former Vengeance Rising
vocalist Roger Martinez has since denounced all that the band
has stood for all these years and last I heard he makes a point
to go public with his hatred for Christianity. Did it feel
strange at all standing in his former shoes?
Scott:
Not really. I have a lot of respect for Roger. He is a
legendary singer. Of course he is no Geoff Tate or Rob
Halford, but that isn't really the point is it? Who else was
that sick, that aggressive in 1986-87? His vocals were just
insane for that time. Regardless of his current beliefs I hold
him in high regard for that alone. On top of that I also was
very influenced by his bold lyrical approach. So to answer the
question, no it didn't feel strange. It was an honor. If I was
only able to sing with them for that one show, I still would have
been honored.
Chaz:
What is Once Dead up to now and could this turn
into a permanent position for you and if so will it effect the
future of Ultimatum?
Scott:
Once Dead has a few shows scheduled for the summer
including TomFest, Cornerstone and Beyond the Mountain.
On top of that we are suppose to record a new CD by the
end of summer. I don't think it will effect Ultimatum much. If
anything it will give us some more exposure.
Chaz:
How do you feel about today's Metal scene,
particularly in The U.S?
Scott:
You know, it's a strange scene. A few years ago I went to see
Iced Earth and Nevermore at a little club in Albuquerque
and the place was like half empty. Ultimatum has played that
same club to as many people. Yet I went to Ozzfest last year
and there were metalheads coming out of the woodwork
wearing their Judas Priest, Black Sabbath and Iron
Maiden shirts. Go figure. The scene, at least around these
parts, is weird. Ultimatum plays clubs in Albuquerque to
small crowds of 30-100 people, yet we go over to California
and play to several hundred. So, I guess the scene is growing.
It has never really mattered to us either way how the scene is.
We are out to do what we feel called to do, and a scene or a
lack thereof isn't going to change that.
Chaz:
What are your feelings about people ripping songs off
of the Internet?
Scott:
Well, for a small band like us, we see it as exposure.
Hopefully if people like the music they will buy the CD. We
don't see a whole lot of money to begin with, so exposure is
more important to us. However, I don't really care for the
whole MP3 thing. There is something missing when all you
have is a song from a CD. The packaging, the attitude, and
all the songs together are part of the experience of the music
and that is missing with MP3 downloading. However, I can
see where a band like Metallica might get upset by people
stealing their music on the internet. It is their product and if
you are downloading it illegally, you are stealing from that
artist.
Chaz:
Ultimatum is widley known as a Christian Thrash
band. Are you happy with this moniker?
Scott:
I don't really care about tags. We are Christians and we are
not ashamed of that, however, we are a metal band. We play
heavy metal. Music in and of itself cannot be Christian. As I
stated above, we should be in the same shelves as every other
heavy metal band. There is not section for Satanic metal, or
Hari Krishna metal, etc. Every heavy metal band has
something to say, but they are still playing heavy metal. We
are Christians so naturally that comes through in our lyrics.
As to the thrash label, well, we do have a lot of thrash
influences in our music. We are all big fans of the genre, but
I think we have just as many classic metal influences as we do
thrash metal influences. Personally I think Ultimatum is a
heavy metal band. Call us thrash, call us Christian, call us
Christian thrash. It doesn't really matter to me.
Chaz:
Have you had many problems running into anti
Christian metal heads while on the road?
Scott:
Not really. In the last six or so years we have really only
played shows in clubs and bars, so most of those who are
watching and listening are not Christians. We have never had
a problem at all. There is the occasional biased person.
There was one band we played with that vowed to never let us
play again because they said that "your singer is to preachy".
The thing is, I didn't say a word from stage! We just got up there
and played our music. So, there is that bias, but in general,
we have been very well accepted.
Chaz:
What would you say to those who do not share your
beliefs and may not want to listen to Ultimatum due to the
lyrical content?
Scott:
Don't judge a book by it's cover. It's as simple as that. I have
missed out on some great music in the past because I listened
to the hype and didn't check it out for myself. I don't think
even the most skeptical person who likes metal can't enjoy a
track like "Never" or "Heart of Metal". Our songs are not
all turn or burn type lyrics. As a matter of fact, they really
aren't that at all. We sing about issues that affect us, as well
as our faith. The two aforementioned songs are just metal
anthems and have little to do with faith at all. So, check it
out before you make a decision you don't like it.
Chaz:
If you had to recommend one Ultimatum album to
someone who has never heard you which one would it be and
why?
Scott:
I'd recommend "Mechanics of Perilous Times" because I feel it
is our best produced album and also contains some of our best
songs. However, I know many people who prefer "Puppet of
Destruction." I like the songs on that CD quite a bit but feel
the mastering wasn't done properly and the bottom end just
isn't there. Otherwise either of those two albums represent us
very well.
Chaz:
What about the future? Are you currently working
on a new album and if so when shall we expect a tentative
release?
Scott:
We are in the mixing stages of four songs that we recorded
for the demo I spoke of earlier in this interview. We are
going to pick the three we like the best and send them out. In
the meantime we are talking about possibly releasing an EP
with all four songs and some live material, since it has been
over four years since our last CD. We are also going to
release a DVD of live material in the not to distant future.
Chaz:
Thank you for the Interview and from one metal
vocalist to another keep it heavy, keep it Metal and good luck
with your future!
Subject: Rare ULTIMATUM Interview from 05 
Fri Jan 22, 2010 2:40 am
great interview! thanks for posting but,excuse me? "freaks"??? thats "Ultimaniacs" to you!! lol! wow! and you two may be getting together for a gig? wow! tell me how psyched i am!!! 
