1. Before "Into The Pit" came out it was quite silent regarding
ULTIMATUM. What happened in the previous years?
Well, in 2000 we released Mechanics of Perilous Times independently in
the U.S. The album was picked up in Europe by Gutter Records and
released there in 2001. After that we continued to do shows and write
new
material. However, we no longer had a contract with Rowe Productions
and Gutter Records had gone under, so with no label backing and a bunch
of personal issues going on with band members outside the
band, it delayed us recording anything new. Over the next couple years
we recorded demos and sent them out to record companies to see what
interest we could generate. We had some offers, but nothing we felt
would do much to get the music out any more than we could do ourselves.
In 2006 we released a limited edition EP of some demos we recorded the
year before. This EP generated some label interest and we finally
hooked up with Retroactive the same year. "Into the Pit" was finally
released in October 2007.
I am very proud of Into the Pit. Robert really stepped things up on
this one. His guitar playing is outstanding. His solos shred and his
rhythm work is tight. I can't imagine any Ultimatum fan being
disappointed
with this one. However, I really hope that the stepped up production
and musicianship will draw in some new fans as well.
2. When did you start the songwriting for the album? Why did you use
the song featured on "...til The End" again? Are the other songs
brandnew?
We started recording demos for the album in 2005. Those demos ended up
being released on the "..til the End!" EP in '06. The EP was limited to
only 300 copies and mostly just sold to fans on our discussion board.
It was just a taster EP for "Into the Pit" for those fans who were
really wanting to hear the demos. The four songs that were used on "Til
the End" that also appear on "Into the Pit" were completely
re-recorded, and in one case slightly re-arranged.
3. "Into The Pit" was well received by fan and press (e.g. 11/12 in our
mag, review by me). Are you surprised about the good reviews?
I don't know about surprised, but I am thankful that people are
appreciating the music. We've been around for a long time. We've had
our share of good and bad reviews over the years, so it's always
awesome when someone appreciates our music. Having said that, there
have been a few negative reviews of the new CD as well, although most
of the negative reviews I have read, don't seem to really have a grasp
on what we were trying to do. Thanks for the positive review in Heavy!
We certainly appreciate the exposure.
4. Do you see any differences between your older and the recent
material? How did the band change in your opinion?
I think the new material still sounds like Ultimatum, but with a bit
more aggression and perhaps slightly more progressive. Since 2000 and
the "Mechanics" CD, we've had a few band members come and go. New
bassist Rob Whitlock had a big impact on the band's sound and has been
a vital part of our songwriting since that time. I also think the
production has really been stepped up. Engineer, Ysidro Garcia is a
fantastic metal producer and really captured our sound. If I had one
complaint about our first three albums it's that we could never quite
capture our live sound in the studio. We were always hearing comments
about how much better and more aggressive we were on stage than on our
CDs. This is especially true of the vocals. I really think Ysidro did a
great job capturing that sound.
5. ULTIMATUM play classic Bay Area Thrash. How do you judge the new
breed of Thrsh Bands from that area and the rest of the states? I guess
you are familira with bands like WARBRINGER, MELTDOWN, FUELED BY FIRE
or HATCHET.
Sure, I am familiar with a lot of the new bands out of the U.S. Really
enjoy some of them. Avenger of Blood is a fantastic thrash band with a
big European thrash influence. Warbringer, Fueled by Fire, Hatchet,
Meltdown, as well as old standards like Hirax are keeping the scene
alive. Plus there's some great bands outside the U.S. like Hyades,
Municipal Waste and Evile. Thrash metal seems to be thriving right now.
As for Ultimatum, we are generally regarded as a thrash metal band,
but frankly, I just see us as a metal band. We do have a lot thrash
influences, but we also have a lot of classic metal influences in our
music. People compare us to Exodus, Vengeance Rising and Over{blocked} a
lot. I certainly don't mind those comparisons, but I think you'll also
hear influences from bands like Metal Church, Iron Maiden, Accept, Iced
Earth, etc. as well.
6. What do you think was your biggest influence, I would say Exodus!!
We hear that a lot, but no, Exodus are not our biggest influence.
Robert writes a good majority of our music and he's not even that big
of an Exodus fan. You'll generally hear him listening to stuff like
Dio, Iron Maiden, Sacred Warrior, Iced Earth, Ozzy, etc. before most
thrash metal. I'm the big thrash fan in Ultimatum. I myself am a big
Exodus fan, as well as bands like Anthrax and Over{blocked}, but never
really tried to sound like any of them. I have a very big metal
collection and listen to everything from bands like Thin Lizzy, Ted
Nugent and Kiss to classic metal bands like Anvil, Raven, Priest, to
thrash and death metal. I don't really mind the Exodus and Over{blocked}
comparisons. If you have to be compared to someone, it's cool to be
compared to such great bands.
6. Do you think that this Thrash comeback will help ULTIMATUM in any
way?
Well, it would be nice if the recent thrash resurgence would help us
gain some new fans. I'd love to be able to gain enough popularity in
Europe to get out there and perform at some of the metal festivals.
However, we don't really worry about how trends in music will affect
us. We just do what we do, regardless of the times and trends.
7. ULTIMATUM are obviously influenced by EXODUS. Do you still follow
the band's career? How do you see their new album? "Death Wish" sounds
a little bit like "Braindead" to my ears. What is your opinion on
EXODUS' new stuff released by other classic bands like DEATH ANGEL or
TESTAMENT?
Absolutely. I love all those classic thrash bands and am glad they are
all still alive and kicking. I really like the new Testament, as well
as the recent Death Angel releases. Also, recent releases from Sodom,
Sadus, Nuclear Assault and Kreator are great as well. As for Exodus, I
loved "Tempo of the Damned". Souza never sounded so good. Great riffs
and a buzz saw guitar sound. "Shovel Headed Kill Machine" and "Atrocity
Exhibition" are a bit more modern sounding to me and I can't deny that
I am disappointed that Souza is no longer behind the mic. I still like
them, but prefer the more classic stuff.
8. Your voice reminds me a lot of Baloff, Beccara and Souza. Are these
guys influences for you?
Sure, they are all influences on me, especially one Into the Pit. Like
I said, I've never tried to sound like any other vocalist, but I was
really striving for a more aggressive sound on this new CD. Other
influences on my vocals this time around was Blitz, Mille Petrozza and
Darren Travis of Sadus. I really love that throaty sound that Travis
and Petrozza achieved on their more recent releases.
9. When did you start singing? Who were your early influences?
I started singing in the early 1990's. Early influences were David
Wayne, Udo Dirkschneider, Steven Tyler, Steve Rowe of Mortification and
Tom Denlinger of Sardonyx.
10. The artwork of "Into The Pit" is totally old school and looks like
an 80ies Thrash album. Was this your intention? Could you please
explain the meaning of the artwork?
Thanks. Rex Zachary did a fantastic job on the cover art. I had this
idea for the album title and cover that I discussed with Rex. Yes, I
did want that classic metal look, yet I wanted to convey the message
of "Into the Pit". The cover is basically based on some Scripture in
the Book of Revelation that talks about the devil being chained in the
abyss for a thousand years. I believe it's in Revelation, chapter 20.
At the same time, the title Into the Pit conveys that meaning of
moshing and the live metal experience.
11. With "Heart Of metal" you created a real anthem, a tribute to our
beloved scene. Do you think the Metal Underground is still alive?
Absolutely. Metal will never truly go away. There will always be the
die-hard metal fans.
12. The choice to do a cover of MAIDEN's "Wrathchild" was quite a
surprise for me although I like the result. Why did you decide to pick
this song? Wouldn't an underground classic have been more appropriate
for ULTIMATUM?
Well in the past we had covered Testament and Vengeance Rising.
Vengeance in particular is most certainly an underground band. However,
we had been playing "Wrathchild" live for quite some time. We just
decided to go ahead and record it. It's a great song from a band that
has had a huge impact on us. We all love Maiden, so it was a natural
choice for us.
13. Do you think that the positive message of your songs is an
advantage or a disadvantage for your career? Do you like playing with
secular bands?
I write most of the lyrics for Ultimatum. I am a Christian, as are the
rest of the members of Ultimatum. We realize some people won't like us
because of that, but I won't pretend to be something I am not just to
sell records. Metal is the most intense form of musical expression. Why
not offer an intense message? Whether it be social commentaries,
expression of faith, or just a fun metal anthem like Heart of Metal,
the lyrics are who we are. We aren't pretending to be anyone. In that
regard, I'd say it's an advantage. We aren't trying to cram anything
down anyone's throats. We are just trying to be honest.
Sure, we love playing with any bands. We play with mostly secular
bands. We usually don't play in churches or for youth groups. We
perform in the same clubs and theaters as any other band. We are a
metal band like any other metal band and our goal is not to separate
ourselves. What's the point of that? Metal is metal. Everyone is
expressing something through their lyrics. We just choose to express
something positive.
14. Are there any plans to go on tour? Do you pften play live? What was
the most memorable ULTIMATUM show for you?
We play live very often, especially in our home state of New Mexico. We
also do shows out of state quite often, but we don't tour. We all work
full time jobs, so leaving for months of touring isn't realistic. We
would love to do some short tours and have had offers to tour with
bands like Mortification over the years. So far, it's just hasn't
happened, so we are sticking to doing weekend gigs around the country.
15. In Germany there are many underground festivals featuring many
classic (US) Power Metal and Thrash bands. Have you ever been asked to
play at the HEADBANGER'S OPEN AIR or the KEEP IT TRUE? ULTIMATUM would
be the perfect choice for such an event.
We would LOVE to get out to Europe to play some of these metal
festivals. A couple years ago I performed at Elements of Rock in
Switzerland with another band I was singing for. That was a blast!
European fans are awesome! The crowd was headbanging the entire time
and singing along to every single song. I singed a ton of Ultimatum CDs
while I was out there, so I know there is interest.
16. "Into the Pit" is dedicated to the military men and women who
fight for freedom. How do you see the US actions in Iraq and
Afghanistan? Do you think the mission was a success?
Well, I support our troops. I pray daily for their safety and for
peace in the Middle East. I am grateful that these brave men and women
are out there protecting my freedom. I also think it is great that a
ruthless dictator was taken down. I guess time will tell if the mission
was ultimately successful. Regardless, war sucks! It is sometimes a
necessary evil. However, it's better left to Sodom lyrics in my
opinion.
17. Do you think the US politics will change with a new president?
Who#s your favourite, mcCain or Obama?
I'm not a big fan of politicians, quite frankly. It suppose to be about
representing the people, not the special interest groups, but that's
what it seems to be about any more.
18. On your homepage you have a list with you record collection which
is really impressive. How do you find the time to review all the
albums? When did you start this?
I started that site back in 1999. I have thousands of CDs and records,
most of which are listed on that site. It's a lot of work, but I enjoy
doing it. Time is sometimes a problem, but I always manage to make time
for it.
19. You are obviously a huge record collector. What is you most
expensive and valuable album or CD?
I'm not even sure. I have so many CDs and records. Many of the old
Roadrunner, thrash CDs were worth a lot of money, but have recently
come down in price thanks to the Metal Mind reissues. Some of my
favorites in my collection are the one's I have had autographed by
bands I have met over the years. I have Vengeance Rising's "Once Dead"
on vinyl signed by the entire band. I have this one framed and on my
wall. Some others on my wall are Dark Angel's "Leave Scars" signed by
my friend Ron Rinehart, Ted Nugent's "Nugent" signed by Ted, Hirax "The
New Age of Terror" signed by the entire band. I have hundreds of
records and CDs autographed. My biggest want is a copy of the Heathens
Rage EP on Rock Dreams Records. I use to have a copy but sold it in a
moment of madness back in the early 1990's. Those guys were high school
friends of mine and I really regret selling that record.
20. Any final words?
Thanks for the interview and for all the support. We appreciate the
exposure and hope a few people will get turned onto our music. Check us
out at www.myspace.com/ultimatummetal. Be sure and drop us a line and
let us know what you think or come by the discussion board at
www.heartofmetal.net.
_________________
ULTIMATUM - TOO METAL FOR WIKIPEDIA!
Subject: HEAVY MAGAZINE 
Mon Aug 25, 2008 1:46 pm
