Garza Podcast - 165 - KILLSWITCH ENGAGE | Adam D: Metalcore, Writing Riffs & Starting a Band

Episode Date: February 24, 2025

Garza sits down in-person with Adam Dutkiewicz. Adam D is a record producer & best known as the guitar player for the metalcore band KILLSWITCH ENGAGE. Also for other projects Aftershock, Times of Grace & Serpentine Dominion. New Album "This Consequence" OUT NOW! https://linktr.ee/kseSPONSORS: Garza Podcast Coffee - https://conceptcafes.com/product/garzapodcastcoffee/43CHAPTERS:00:00 - Sense of Humor & Sarcasm05:10 - Jesse's New Singing Technique07:47 - Nintendo, Super Mario10:41 - How Adam Got into Hardcore/Punk13:58 - “Always Trust Your Ear” 17:50 - Westhampton, Going to School for Music & Reading26:55 - Tricking Joel to Join Band29:24 - Being a Telemarketer34:06 - Realistically Thinking of Starting a Band37:05 - Process of Writing the 1st Record39:49 - Working, Killswitch & Interning44:20 - Zero Expectations47:21 - Never Have Pre-Thoughts of People47:51 - Writing/Trashing Guitar Riffs53:59 - How often does the band jam/rehearse?1:00:23 - Back Surgery, Torn Meniscus1:09:09 - Self Doubt Thoughts1:13:24 - Having a Different Singer & Tryouts1:18:51 - Moving Out of Parents Basement1:21:50 - Moving to San Diego California1:25:58 - What is Adam Doing Now1:29:08 - Making Music with Corpsegrinder1:35:15 - What gets Adam Pissed1:37:54 - New Guitars 1:38:55 - Guitars with1 Pickup

You want to be headphones or not? I'm a Sands headphones guy. I just chill. Okay, chill. Cool. Yeah. Feels less official when you're not wearing headphones. Okay, good.

I'm not a very official kind of guy, so. You're a very, you're a very sarcastic guy, huh? Yes, it's definitely within my blood. Totally. Yeah, I'm New Englander. Yeah. It could rub. If people don't, if people don't get it, it erupts people with the,

wrong way. It's been a growing pain for me in Southern California. Oh, what? People. People think I'm just rude. Just a ballbuster, you know? Yeah. Yeah, man. But it's, you know, it's fine. It's fine. It's fine. I never mean any ill will.

Good. Yeah. Yeah, I, uh, I like, I like talking shit. It's kind of like the same thing. I'm like this zero. But it's from my heart, though. Like, you know, I talk shit. to our drummer Ernie like a lot and people think I'm serious. So people think like, dude, you're like rude. Like I, it seems like, is there like beef there? I'm like, no. I mean, this is, it's, I'm the most, I feel kind of bipolar because I'll either be

super serious or I'll just talk shit. I mean, none of it. Yeah. Because like it's just, I don't know, when you talk shit to someone, my heart gets full of joy. You know, like, you know how you're being. like sarcastic because you're from the east coast yeah yeah and it's like yeah it's well it's if you have a tight relationship with somebody and you can you know ball bust it's kind of fun you know it's kind of it's endearing almost you know it's like it is man it shows how much you trust that person so yeah

or care about them you know weird way if you talk shit to him or you're sarcastic to him you uh you you could because love because you love him yeah you know adam d um i've been wanting to sit down with for quite some time and uh here i am rocky like a hurricane so it's so it's honestly this kind of a moment because uh also like another reason why why we do this is uh dude it pisses me off because you'll you'll be on tour as someone and you just just sometimes you just don't have that interaction you know you were one of them like uh i'm not trying to put you on on blouse or anything but okay like oh shit we're like going on tour like kill a switch i want to talk to adam and it's just the stars never aligned yeah i kind of keep to myself unless there's like a parking lot vibe

hang out yeah so yeah i'm a loner i know i know i'm a loner on tour i guess yeah yeah but here we are now i know but we're here now i literally had to start a podcast and do it four years to hang out with you congrats on four years man that's awesome that's stuff That's so cool. And, man, it was, it was, it was worth it. Yeah. Cool. Well, Adam, it's, it's, it's on, it's, it's honor to finally hang out with you, man.

Right on. It's cool, dude. Good to be here. To be professional for a quick second, you guys have a new record dropping. We do. Friday, which is, what, a couple days from now. Yeah, which is out now because it's dropping a moment of day. Yeah.

It's cool. Yep. Yep. This consequence, uh, took many years to put together. Okay. Um, but it's finally done. and happy about that because tired of playing the old stuff. Play some new stuff.

Play some new stuff. Yeah. Do something different on stage, finally. No, I just, no, I just play all of it. Yeah. Play all of it, dude. No, it's just, it's cool to play new songs, you know. Shake it up a little bit.

Yeah. Yeah. Why did it take, uh, why did it take multiple years? Uh, well, we, um, we started a little later than we should have because of, it's crazy. The whole COVID thing. screwed up our last record so bad because of our timing. Our time was impeccable with the release thing

and then having just the brakes put down down. And about to go on tour and promote the record and new world shut down, go home. So it took us about a couple of years to get back out, obviously, for everything to reopen. And then toured all those stuff that we said we were going to tour. And finally got to that, started writing. And we all lived on different.

parts of the U.S. So we don't write together. We, you know, come up with demo separately. Decided this time it was a good idea to get together with the ideas and have everybody kind of jam on them and, you know, kind of get their, their vibes with the stuff. And like, instead of just like demo, go to the studio and record it. Everybody got to, you know, just put their own personality into the songs a little bit more and just be a part of it a little more, you know.

I feel like all the band members a little more invested. And then after that, working with Jesse this time, Jesse learned a different singing technique to save his voice live because screaming live every night, you know, using your full vocal cords, obviously, isn't, you know. Sure. It's hard to do. So he tried a new method called a fry method,

and it just didn't sound as sick. in the studio. So we had we recorded like six songs with like this new method he was using. And then we're like, I'm not really feeling the way this is sounding, man. So he like had to go back and relearn how to scream. And oh crap. Yeah, it was stressful. It was stressful. That was one issue with Jesse. Jesse like I got to say right now I'm not throwing on the bus. You are. He's the hardest working dude on this record. He wins the gold star for. are like the dude that like threw down and all everything he had he put it in it you know um because he was more open with uh us telling him if we liked his demos or not we made him demo

every song um so we could go over the lyrics together and before we'd even get into the studio um and there were ideas we were just like this could be better man this could be better you know so he'd like go back to the drumboard and try again and like he he did it man he like lots of effort Lots of effort. So all that just took a little more time than we thought it would. So, yeah, it's been like five years since we put a record. Five. Something like that.

I don't remember exactly, but it's been quite some time. He had to relearn. Isn't that nuts? Yeah, yeah. Like, oh, I'm screaming this way and I'm, I used to scream like that. I got to go back to that. Oh, crap. So, yeah.

Well, it's probably for you, it's not, you've had some curveballs thrown out you throughout your whole career. and you really learn. I can't hit a curveball. I can't. You know how to hit life curve balls. Yeah. Oh, I don't know about that. Yeah.

I guess maybe we're in a similar boat where it's like, yeah, something happens. Okay, what's the best way to move forward? In that life, though. You know, that's the way life is. You know, it's not going to be a straight road, smooth sailing the whole time, you know? Yeah. Yeah, it's not all video games and cookies, right? Right.

It's not all Super Mario Brothers. Yeah. Right. Exactly. Now, you talked about, I mean, Adam, yeah, you have a very extensive career. So, you mentioned that your favorite Christmas presents were video games for Nintendo, correct? How did you find that? Huh?

How did you find that? Some interview a long time ago. Yeah, when I was raised on Nintendo. Yeah. So just remember, like, like, the only, like, serious, like, memories I have of Christmas to me were, like, being so stoked to me, like, this is the greatest Christmas of all. Yeah. It's like opening like, you know, some kind of old school NES game, like might have been Zelda, maybe Adventure to Link, like Mario 3, Mario 2, Mario, you know, like, holy crap. The Mario series was classic, dude.

We still play it. We still play it at home. It's awesome. We still play them, dude. And now there's all like these, like, newer versions of it. So it's like a- Love them. 3D world?

Sick. It's sick? Yeah. They're all so great, man. I wonder they're going to put out because N64 put out or they might be coming out or is they put out a 4K version

Wow, that's a lot of Ks I don't know what to do with that many Ks I know, yeah What does that mean? They're like in the room with you? Oh, show. Is that one? Have you heard of this? No.

N64 is going to launch a 4K version and a Bluetooth controller. Okay, wow. I wonder if they're going to do that with the old school Yeah, it should It's cool, all right? So what was your

What was your favorite game though? It's like asking a dad Who his favorite kid is? I don't know. Because it seems like as like a kid You're just pretty much playing video games And eating cookies all day, right? Yes.

Okay. That's that you just nailed my childhood. Good. Right on, man. I really did love the Every Mario game. Like every Inception was sick. Even two is sick.

You know, like, that's the weird one, you know. Two, yeah. That's when you're like, the egg dude is spit and exit. Yeah, yeah. Dude, you maybe actually think about this because I was like, I was like, those, those are trippy games. I wonder they were like, whoever created, like the Mario series, like that one, two, and three, they had to be on something.

Maybe. They had to. But it was awesome. I haven't knew it. It's like a delic shit. I don't know. Like, they look back. It's like when you look back on cartoons.

or some like, oh, that kind of makes sense now that I have a perspective of being high. Well, mushrooms do power up Mario, so just putting that together, you know? Just saying. I wonder if anyone made that, you know, thing before. Connection, yeah. That's crazy, man. Mushrooms power them up, bro.

That's great, dude. Yeah. So you got into, correct me if I'm wrong, but you got into music through your brother, correct? Mm-hmm. Yeah. So hardcore punk, misfits. Absolutely.

My brother was like a wannabe skater punk kid and had some friends who played instruments. So they were like jamming at my parents' house in the basement and his friend left a drum set there and I just started playing him. I was like, this is fun. I can actually play beats. This is crazy.

And then started playing the bass and then actually probably played the guitar last. out of the three. Yeah, just like, I don't know, for some reason, it just, it felt like I could just hear something and play it. Like, obviously not very, like, difficult things back then. I'm talking where power chords only, bro. Yeah, I mean, and like, t-t-t-t-tik-tik-tik-tik-tik-a-tik-tik-tik.

Like pretty basic stuff. Yeah. Yeah, but it was just, it was automatic to me. I was just drawn to it, yeah. Mm-hmm. So yeah, you got, so you got lucky with their, with their brother's band bringing in pretty much all the instruments.

And all of a sudden, you have like, can I try that? Can I try that? Cool. Yeah. So you were first drawn to the drums, right? Yeah, right. Dang, dude. That's just too much stuff to set up. So I'm all set.

You got lucky. Like once like, once like you stopped doing drums, you got, maybe you saw like the, oh wait, this is maybe not. Yeah. And when I was the first drummer for Kill Switch, you know, I was just like, I'm getting tired of setting all this crap up and tearing all this crap down. And man, it's really physically demanding to play drums all the time, especially any kind of double bass.

I'm just like, if anybody else want to play drums, I'll play second guitar. Yeah. And drummers have that weird brain too. Yeah. It's just like a different, it's a different person. All right. Do you know any drummers that are like totally normal? They're all a little weird, right?

Like, I'm not saying they're not nice or like good people. no there's always just something a little off about a drummer in there yeah yeah and they're there there was you and this what's up what's up yeah they're fucking but damn fucking calm down well i uh the uh the second drummers tend to be a lot more nicer yeah so i without going too part into anything but yeah drummers there's just a different a different wiring and you seem to have all all the wiring yeah you're crazy not not a not a Everything's attached. Yeah, so, uh, yes.

So your brother's playing like, like the hardcore punk stuff. It's, it's very basic, yeah. Just like, we're kids. Yeah. You got lucky, man. Just the drum sets right there. Yeah, exactly. It wasn't mine, but just got to play on it for a little bit.

Video games, cookies, drums. Yeah, that's it. That's started metal core. Just, just like, everyone knows. Yeah, so then, yeah, you got more into like the, uh, thrash stuff right and then um i just like everything man you know like if it's good it's good you know that's that's the way it is you know i learned everything i learned from from you adam uh this this morning i found a a quote from you always trust your ear yeah why wouldn't you i was like

that's just uh that's your first instinct is usually the best instinct when it comes to like writing you know like you're writing right now yeah like your first first instinct is usually the best instinct. Like the best version of what that idea should be. When you start doing that. When you overthink something, I just feel you beat it up. And like, if I'm stuck working on a project for over a month, I'm just gonna make it worse, you know?

I really feel that way. I feel like a lot of musicians do that though. Like it's hard to say goodbye and they wanna just like overanalyze and it's not good enough yet. You know, don't forget a record. A record is a snapshot in time. you know so it's like it can only be like what do you want to work on a record for 10 years you know it's yeah it deserves to come out when it's you know kind of created right yeah it's that call me crazy

yeah it's that first it's that first it'll see right right and then other band members can get their first reactions and snowball together and then all the sudden bada bing did you did you did you get that from a so you so you learn which you also mentioned like you learn that from like learning songs as a kid you will learn by ear and you also mentioned that was like the that's kind of the best way to practice is learning other band songs i think so i think so because um when you create that ear recognition and that um when you can hear what's happening you know i just feel like you automatically understand your instrument a lot more. It's easier for you to just comprehend what's happening.

It's easier to, like, if you have an idea within you, it's easier to get it out of you because like, oh, I know exactly what I'm hearing and then just play it. You know, like, that's the way, I think that's the best. It's just, you're able to translate ideas and, and songs internally, externally, you know. You're kind of making me, uh, re-rethink, how I'm learning songs now because that's how we used to do it, but now I'm like, I'm

literally sitting in front of like a computer slowing, like looking at YouTube videos, my man, I used to just go by my ear and that without knowing I was developing like the songwriting skill, just going things by ear. And now I'm so molder and looking at YouTube videos how I had to play songs. I wonder there's like a- So you're watching other bands play and I mean like, I want to learn like, I don't know, like a slipmouth song or something. Yeah. Oh, like there's now there's 4K versions of them playing live. You're like, now you can slow it down.

And I'm like, okay, let's that. Okay. Is that fret? Cool. Man, I used to this. Yeah, we used this ear, listen and it's okay. It's funny. I write all my music when I'm not holding an instrument usually.

Really? Yeah. Like, I have this thing where like, I really feel like when you're moving your body, it stimulates a brain a little bit, you know, gets things going. And I like hiking a lot. I like being outside. Biking, all that stuff. And I feel like I write most of my music when I'm just out in nature doing something.

Like, well, exercising. Yeah. Sounds weird. No. But that's what, like I said, that's what the cell phone, the iPhone, the iPhone friggin' notes thing as far as record. And you're like, you know, and then you get home and you get a little. Yeah, get the seed going, man. Yeah, get that seat.

Plant it. Plant that seed, bro. When you just start hiking? Oh, God. I don't know. Long time ago. I'm old. It's just like a...

I grew up in the country. I'm like a country boy, so I just want to be out in the woods. Okay, so this isn't like a California thing. You were doing it? No, no. I used to live in Massachusetts and, yeah, I've hiked a lot of trails in Massachusetts, too. Okay. Yeah, yeah.

Oh, it's a, it's West Hampton, correct? Yeah. Okay, nice. Okay, so I'm next to North Hampton. Wow. I couldn't, I couldn't have, I guessed that one. Sick. And East Hampton.

Yeah, what, yeah, what's the vibe there is? Southampton. Shig, chich, ching. Okay, okay, cool. Yeah, I'm not, I'm not familiar with that area. So what, so it's more, so it's like a country vibe? It's like Petit New England. villages and uh my town was literally just mostly farmland and oh really it's it's being developed a lot

more now so it's um but it's still country country vibes there's no stoplights oh okay um one country store um that's about it okay yeah so you were walking around even like back then just just walk in thinking yeah well when i was you know not a kid anymore not playing nintendo anymore yeah yeah teens now yeah more like uh after after college okay yeah I was very studious through college didn't do much except study mm yeah okay 3.8 bro holy crap really yeah yeah not bad not bad are you serious yeah it is this funny when when we when we go to school uh and we and we're doing something that we're interested in we we crush it I try I'm just

My parents kind of are like, you know, study, study. So, yeah, yeah. But it was cool. I hated a lot of the courses I had to take, but, but some of them were a lot of fun. Yeah, because a lot of them were music-based, obviously. Yeah, what actually made you go to, because you went to Berkeley of music, correct?

Yep. Nice. And that was for audio engineering, was that? So that was like your purpose. I'm going to do that. Yeah, I was, because, you know, You think back then where my head was at, I was like, you know, there's no way I'm going to be in a touring band making a living doing that. So it might as well do something that's, yeah.

Also, so you thought in your head, this is not possible. Were you like, I'm going to be in a band and crush it? Really? Yeah. That's not realistic to think like that. You know, right? I'm not a good example. Okay.

All right. Anyways, me being the realistic person. Okay. I'm like, well, at least I can get this gig in music where I like making music, you know, it's, you know, it's. creating music is my favorite thing to do, so it makes a lot of sense for me to get some kind of training within the studio setting and all that stuff, yeah.

And you went there for four years? Four years, yeah. Oh, shit, dude. I made it through, I know. It's like that college is famous for dropouts. Are they really? Yeah, yeah, I think that, I'm going to, like, throw them under the bus now.

They're famous for over-enrolling, and then they just get weeded out because everyone's like, I want to be in music. You know, and then they get there, Like music's hard and they leave. Music is. Music sucks sometimes, dude.

Fuck, dude. Were you playing the, uh, upright bass? Uh, I did for a while, yeah. Yeah, it's really hard, man. It's a lot of, you know, like, you gotta get your chops up, man. It's a lot of work. Yeah. What were you trying to learn?

I like jazz. I like some jazz. Oh, you are freak. It's all, okay. Okay, okay. All, I like all sorts of music, man. Okay. Jazz playing upright bass, man.

It was fun, no. It was fun. And that, was that in Berkeley? A little bit. I played mostly electric in Berkeley. I didn't want to be a guitar major because in that school, it's just a sea of guitar players. You know, Petrucci want to be used and just madness, you know, because that's where Petrucci went, I'm pretty sure.

So you saw just a sea of guitar players. So many. I'm like, I'll just play bass. Whatever. I like bass too. Yeah. Yeah. But the upright, though, was it?

The jazz? Most of my studies were on the electric. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. So four years, you're out. How old were you when you got out? 22?

22? Must have been? Okay, so you're in the math right? Okay, yeah, you're still a kid. Right out of college. Yeah. Right out of high school, went to college. And then did the four years like it was jail.

Did you graduate? my hard time. Did you graduate high school? Yeah. Oh, nice. Okay. Grades? In West Hampton, Mass.

I don't remember. Oh, my God. I'm so old, dude. Brain, you can't dig that part in my brain. I don't know. Yeah, I'm digging, dude. I'm digging. I might find something.

I'm pretty sure I did okay. Yeah. Well, when you go to college, you get a 3.8. So I'm curious what you're a... I almost feel. I failed English lit because I found Jane Eyre very boring. What a boring book? Oh my God. What's the book? Jane Eyne Air?

Did you ever have it to take English literature? No. Okay. I was smart of knowing I'm never gonna succeed at this. Yeah, yeah, it was awful book. Oh, people love it. Oh no, I was doing pre-outrepro of my senior year. Yeah, yeah. So, yeah, passed with all these.

Oh, well, you made it. Hey, you didn't care. You were like, I'm going to be a band. Yeah. And you are. Past. It's good. Yeah.

It worked. I graduated high. Yeah. I graduated high school just for my parents. Yeah. Just a buy me time. Hey, I graduated. Give me a few years of Brock.

Yeah. You know, I do. You know how some people I had like a, they had like a half day their senior year. I had a full day. Oh. And I had a, okay. A class after school. And then I had night school.

Wow. Yeah, then I was washing dishes at a Mexican restaurant. Hmm. And starting to sue that sounds. Because junior year they said it wasn't going to graduate and my parents were fucking pissed. Yeah. So they're like, well, how can you?

Well, he could do this to get the game back the credits. You did it. That's awesome. D's. Yeah. It worked. I mean, holy crap, dude. Wait, are D's passing grades?

Yeah. What's not feeling? I'm pretty sure D isn't good enough. Let's find that. It's, our D's passing. Our D is a passing grade in high school. A D is usually a passing grade in high school.

That's shut up, Adam D. Okay. I pass, dude. I was killing it, dude, and you weren't, man, in the high school. Oh, man. Fair enough. Yeah. I don't know if I've ever gotten a D.

Really? Okay, so C's. Yeah. I think a hard C minus in the, and the English lit. For sure. English literature, dude,

you're taking like my kryptonite. I'm not big on reading classic novels. I don't know. Who is? There's a lot of people. Freaks. Yeah.

English literature, why'd you take that? I bet her half loves reading. I don't know what her problem is. She loves reading. You should read Jane Eyre. Put your right to sleep. It helps her wind down

at the end of the night. Oh, sure. Read a book. Read some chapters and whatnot. Reading's cool, but just you got to be interested in the book, man. Yeah, exactly. I mean, fuck, dude. Okay, so you get out of Berkeley now.

That's when it all happened. So I remember my senior year of Berkeley. I was playing in my current band at the time called Aftershock with Joel. Was your brother also in that? My brother was the singer for that. Yep. Nice. It's weird.

We never really like caught any traction at all outside Western Massachusetts. But then except for Japan. But then you go to Japan and you kill it there, right? Let's go. For some reason, Japan enjoyed our music, which was like the biggest like brain fuck of my life. Because here we were like this band that would maybe pull, you know, 10 kids in Syracuse. And then- Why did it work there?

I don't know. But it was incredible like doing it. Like flying across the world and then all of a sudden playing six shows. I'm like, what the hell is going on? This is insane. This is incredible. I was like, one night I cried. I was like, this is what's happening?

This is so cool. But yeah, we were still playing shows here and there. And I knew of Mike's band, Mike's band overcast, loved them. And Mike and I just got talking at one show. I'm like, looking for somebody to start a band with. I'm like, sure. Let's do it. and he saw me play i was playing drums with aftershock for that show i'm like i can play drums

because he didn't have anybody yet and he was just we our first jam our first uh like hanging out and going over some riffs was just a me the drummer and the bass player it was just kind of strange but like just i'm jamming on bass riffs with him yeah oh wow yeah and then we just people would just slowly trickle in we we got this dude who played guitar for a little bit and And then he moved on to something else. And then we got another guy. And he moved on to something else. And then I'm just like, you know, Joel was playing with Aftershock.

And I was like, you know, the only guitar player, he didn't want to join another band. I'm like, the other guitar player is so good. He's just got to play with us. And like, I got this. Like, Mike, just let me give you his address. We'll meet there next Saturday. And I called Joel. I'm like, hey, we got Aftershock practice on Saturday.

Yeah. It's like, all right, cool. I'm around. And then Mike shows up first. And Joel's like, who the hell is this kid? Oh, yeah. And yeah, I show up. I'm like, what's up, bro?

Do your haircuts are insane? Yeah. I don't want to talk about those days. Some sugar-ray shit going on. Let's go, dude. That's cool. Yeah. So, yeah, I tricked Joel into being in kill-switching age.

So he has me to think for his life. living a dream we're living a dream we're living a nightmare we'll see yeah yeah no no it's I'm I'm glad he it worked out because he's he's such a sick guitar player it's awesome to play with jule so and he's a wonderful human being great guy man yeah he's the best yeah you mentioned you got out of Berkeley again when you're so you're you're 22 you didn't have your first train until you were 23 right maybe even later yeah I was just not with the alcohol game But I've made up for lost time, so it's okay. Yeah, dude.

Ask my doctor. Oh, my goodness. Yeah, I just didn't care for the longest time. It's funny, man. Like, I think the thing that really started me up was I got a job that I hated and I just come home. You were, so I'm going to have a beer. So you were a telemarketer, right? Yeah, exactly.

Oh, what is that job like? Awful. What do you think? What do you think? Fuck. You want to be a telemarketer? And it's like sales, you know? Terrible, dude.

It's just like, I'm not a good salesman. I can't. What were you selling? Musical instruments. Oh. Yeah. Well, you could be like happy. But we were a wholesaler who sold to like mom and pop music stores.

Hmm. Okay. So like, hey, I have a deal on drum sets, but you have to buy a hundred of them. You know, like that kind of vibe. So, um, it was just, I don't know, man. I'm not born for selling. things. I just can't pressure people into buying things. Like, you need this. I'm not, that's not how I'm wired. No way. Yeah, that's like a, I mean, were you ever like successful? Like we, oh, no. Because

I didn't want to do it, you know? How long, how long did you do a job? Maybe like a year and a half, year? Year and a half? Yeah. Oh, and luckily, that's when Kill Switch finally got a little bit of Steam. We're like, oh, I guess we're going to try this and, you know, start getting in a van and touring. Yeah. And I was like, you know what? I'll give it a shot. I don't really like this gig anyway, so let's let's give the whole band thing a shot, you know? Yeah. Yeah, how did you, uh, just to get the time my right, how did you, uh, what was it going from, uh, after shock to a kill a switch to make that, okay, this is like, this is like the band. It just felt. It felt more organic to me because I wrote a lot of the Aftershock stuff versus, I guess I'd still write a lot for a Kill Switch, but it's just, we had this like, this really, like, cool, I don't know, it feels so democratic.

Like, everyone's a part of the creation, which is why this latest record, with us jamming all the ideas again together before we go into the studio, it felt more like the old ways. So it's just it's I definitely prefer that like having everyone within the band has their hands on it before we even begin recording it in the studio. Yeah, yeah. I feel that's so good for the band members too because you feel more invested. Everyone's more invested. Yeah. And it's just it feels like everyone's on the stage and you know like I remember when we made this. Yeah. That kind of yeah, dude. You know, it's a better feeling that way. You know, instead like the atonement. That was like everybody felt really. kind of, I don't know, just not really a part of the record because I tried to take on a lot of the responsibilities to make it an easier process for everyone else. You know what I mean? That's why we made it a point for everyone to get back to the old ways of jamming on the stuff together. So you trying to make it easier for everybody else might have made the process worse? Yes, absolutely. I was like, I'm going to write as many demos as I can. And if people give me the thumbs up, we're going to record in the studio. And like everybody else, like, let's just write as much material. and just don't say no, just make it, make it, make it.

And we, like, I think we recorded, like, 20-something songs for Atonement. Yeah, it was like, it was too much. It was like, we should have just weeded out the stuff. It's like, our B-side record for that was for, for charity. And I think even that's like seven songs long, you know, seven B-sides, six B-sides. Oh, God. Yeah, that's what I mean. We just, we took on too much.

So, still arena, man. You're still the band. The band's still learning. Yeah, apparently. Well, we're always learning, aren't we? Always, always. No matter how old you are, you're always, no matter how many records, I'm still learning, dude.

Don't, don't do that. It's funny because I bring that up because, yeah, I remember I try to make a process. There is a record or two that made, okay, if I make this easier, maybe it would be better. And actually, the opposite effect happened. Like, they didn't feel included. They weren't in as invested.

Exactly. I was like, oh, shit, me trying to make things easier, you actually made it worse. Exactly. And then, uh, then you go out on tour for two years and it's a fucking mess. And, you know, I will better luck, uh, next one. And it's not like you're trying to be a control freak. You're just thinking, like, like, this is, this is going to be good and no one's going to have to worry as much about the stress of making the product and blah, blah, blah.

Yeah. Yeah. It's good to keep everybody involved and just be there and keep the family vibes, you know? Mm-hmm. Yeah. I've always kind of, um, Because Adam, I mean, I've been listening to Kills Fitions. I was a kid, you know, and so I'm kind of... I'm so old.

I'm going to die soon. You might die during the podcast. Yeah, yeah. So we got to get it out on Monday, okay? Yep, exactly. All right, got it. So, yeah, so I'm kind of coming at it as, like, an outsider and also me having my experience with the suicide, my band, is...

I was kind of looked at you as like a... Because, you know, we look at other bands like, how do you do that? And like, I always kind of looked at like who's doing what. You know, it's like, so to me, I was like, you were like, he seems like he's, he's like the visionary guy. So I'm so why. Why? What about me? So that's what I'm learning because so you're talking.

I'm like, oh, wow, he didn't even like see. It seems like Adam didn't see where the band was going until he actually quit his job. Yeah. Like, how realistic. Like, I'll say it again. And like, it's crazy that you're like, I'm going to be in a band. Like, how realistic is to say that, like, I'm going to get out of college, I'm going to start a band, and then we're just going to play music for 20-something years and tour the world? Like, it's not very realistic to say that.

How many friends do you have where they started a band? And it just didn't go anywhere. Right? Yeah. Yeah. And so it's not realistic for me to think that. And I still pinch myself, like, the fact that, like, I look back the last 25 years with, like, the fondest of memories. It's like, how the hell have, has this band lasted this long and we're still going?

It's, like, it's crazy. Yeah. Yeah, so did you have, uh, with like the early Kills for your stuff, did you have a, so you didn't have like a sound in like, in like your head? Hey, this is, I thought that this is something different and new. Me, I always, I love metal, but like I was saying earlier, I like all types of music. I listen to everything. And I was just so in love with the idea of having a heavy band with clean vocals. Because I just, I love melody.

Like, that's why, like, we also, like, we take a lot of our influence from, like, in flames. Yeah, you think about that. You're like, it's all guitar melody most of the time. You know, there's break. and then guitar melody. Most of the songs. You know, it's like, I love that.

And like, all that stuff that was happening then, it was just such a massive impression on our songwriting and who we became, you know. Melodies, melody's awesome. Don't get me wrong. I want blast beats and I want breakdowns. Sure. Those are very important too.

They're very important. But melody's awesome. Yeah, I love guitar harmonies. Come on, dude. They're sick. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

You wanted that ride the lightning, you know. Hell yeah. Yeah. Hell yeah. Absolutely. Yeah. Okay. So,

okay, so how are you guys writing the, uh, okay, so how are you writing that, like, first record? Just going for it. It's going for it. Yeah, it's just everyone's spitting out how he is and just, you know, coming right together. I'm done, I'm done calling people trying to sell this fucking drum set. You know, we're, we're going to. I was having fun playing drums, but.

You know, like I said, it's a lot of work. Yeah. I was curious because like, and it's stressful, man. If you're a drummer and you make a mistake, like, people are probably going to know this. Everybody knows. That's always. If you're a guitar player and you make a mistake. I make mistakes on purpose sometimes, you know, because it's fun.

It's fun to mess with the other band members. Sure. But like, or do something goofy. You know what I mean? Like, everyone's still, you know, not really paying attention. Like, I think the guitar. sounded weird there, but we're still going. Yeah.

Yeah. Okay, so you're drinking, writing. I was just curious because, because you're the drummer and you're also the guitar player. So it's like, how are they, how is he writing songs? It usually starts with a guitar riff.

Okay. Yeah, but I would say my drumming style is more of a compliment to the guitar riffs. You know what I mean? Like when I'm putting together a drum part, it's always kind of with, you know, the guitar part in mind, you know, is the way I accent a part or, you know.

Yeah, and it's not, I guess I'm not necessarily a great drummer. I just always kind of just held it down, you know, so it was always just what could I do to compliment the song, you know? I guess that's the way I play guitar too you know it's not like I'm a wicked shredder so it's like what just compliments the song it makes the best song yeah and then that takes no no ego yeah

jack at all trades master and none that's me I'm not really good at anything just just do a bunch of things well well sick so uh trying to get the time I right so you're so you're quitting you quit so you quit the job

and you're just writing tunes. Yeah, and touring. We were playing as many shows as possible. That's when Roadrunner notices us. Yeah, and that was obviously, like, the biggest deal ever, because, you know, we listened to a lot of stuff from Roadrunner. And, you know, the history was Roadrunner.

It was just like, this is crazy. Because you were interning at a studio for quite some time, right? Mm-hmm. Yep. So what's the timeline of you working and Kill Switch? and then doing the intern. It seems like there's like a lot there. It's like the time on there.

I guess we're going back to a long time ago where. And drinking. Not really drinking that much. All that happened later. Back to a time, I'm pretty sure I was interning while I was studying at Berkeley. Oh, okay. Oh, okay. And then once I quit that telemarketing gig, I was still interning and working.

at the recording studio. Yeah, because you were Killswitch was starting up. Yeah. Yep. Yeah, because you were interning for, I mean, quite a few years, right? Yeah. Oh, yeah. Man.

Yeah, it's, you know, to learn how a studio works. It's a lot of moving parts. Yeah. And you were. And I feel like, I'm not doing Berkeley any services here, I feel like the best way to become an engineer is to just intern and work. You're like do some projects Watch out things

Get your hands on Hands on as always Hands on right Yeah 100% 100% Yeah it's funny You brought up the dropout thing It's

When I was pretty surprised When I found out You went there And then you went to Intern and you ended up Producing bands Because I know a lot of people Struggle

Trying to find a gig After they get out of college Right You know Exactly You were actually You were one of the rare few Like you just just pushing myself to be busy and you know

Be in it. Yeah, that's it People don't like they're not gonna just hand you a job like, like hey, I got this Recording gig I want you to have like that's not the way it work well I don't I don't know anymore like how people start off anymore It's that was ages ago yeah I mean getting your hands on I think it's pretty Universal and timeless I mean for a lot of people don't want want to want to enter in place I know they have to. How it's going to learn how an outboard compressor works or you know like you know desk tricks and routing and busing and all that stuff that's the way works you got to do it.

Maybe that quality alone it's just that one thing dude like just be willing to intern. Even that will separate you from a lot of people man. Yeah. Yeah, I don't lie to people do. Just. It's funny. I was trying to find interns to we're talking earlier like. Like people get, hey, you want an intern?

They're like, uh, they will. I mean. Well, if you do it more regularly, you can use it on a resume. Yeah. What if you actually, what if the thing that you're interning on blows up? All of a sudden, you might have a gig. I know what I mean? Like, yeah.

Stranger things happen. I know, dude. And these are also people that for, like for a quick example, I remember this happened this week and I was I'm going back back and forth people to help out with with the podcast and we did some like interviews but I

didn't tell them who was going to come in. So I was thinking about having someone come in like today and it's chill. I was like yeah I don't have anyone set yet but they because I know if I say who's coming in they'd be oh yeah I would love to right right yeah so like them not them not

seen but that's actually a little issue with I think today's culture maybe people are this a little bit less likely to work for free for a while when people like you or me were just that's the way it worked we'll we'll fucking dive in for a while yeah free yep who what that's the way it worked man money what yeah what's that's what i mean music industry is not easy to start and make money you just it doesn't it's not like a nine to five gig where like i studied to do this and so i'm qualified to work here you know it's No one fucking cares.

Yeah, exactly. Dude, no one gets back. But how sick are you riffs? Yeah. People still don't care. Yeah, yeah. It's funny.

Even when you're out there and you fucking do it, man. Like, you have your own, you still have your own personal problems and stuff at home. Mm-hmm. You know? Yeah. Yeah,

it's what I learned with being three or nine. People just don't care. It's fine. Yeah. It's fine. I like, I like knowing that people don't get a fuck. Yeah.

Yeah. Hell yeah. Well, okay, I guess we could just hop into the first record. Again, me being like an outsider, I mean, jamming it. That was like, when that record came out alive and just breathing, that was like the definitive record, you know.

And then I would, and also I was kind of in like, kind of in the scene, so I would hear bands talk about it. And like it really, that's like the record where like the bands in, that genre are like well what are we going to do now you know so so it's interesting because you say that you're not competitive so like what where were you at in in your life emotionally immensely when you were working on those songs uh like i said earlier just like fuck it let's give it a shot it was literally like cool um we're on road over now and we're all going to go on tour for a little bit and this may you know pick up some

momentum or this may just be a tremendous bus crash and then we're back to our nine to five lives yeah that's literally it that's really it nothing here's go i went into this with zero expectations i'm not kidding zero i'm like we're going to be the next you know led zeppelin nothing like that it was just like so interesting to me let's give it a shot man that was it yeah i'm learning This a lot. Okay, I'm learning. Wow, this is nothing. I feel like people need to be like that, you know?

Like you got, but you can't be lazy either. Sure. You're like, well, we'll just see what happens. You obviously have to be like, we got a tour as much as we can. We got to, you know, write the best music we can. And that's it. That's it. That's it.

And they do podcasts. What the? Oh, wow. Okay. Cool. There's no, like, were you going for like a certain sound? Was there like any kind of vision at least? Well, we always just draw upon our influences. You know what I mean? Like I was saying, we were obviously really stoked on what was happening in Europe at that time. And then we all grew up with, you know, punk, metal, hardcore. So it's just, you know, we all drew from different things, you know. So it's just trying to take those influences and, you know, I feel like that's what everybody does, you know. Sure.

You know, just it's the ultimate form of flattery, you know, when you're trying to take what made you feel something when you're, when you were a kid or whatever you're listening to now, whatever moves you, kind of taking that, a little bit of that vision and kind of digesting it and then throwing up your own version of it. Yeah. Yeah. Interesting, man. I'm getting kind of blown away. I don't know why I, maybe I, see, this is why you can't have pre thoughts of people. Because, because, you think I was like some sort of asshole or something? Oh, yeah.

Egotistical prick. Yeah. Oh, it's like, let you, bro. I'm the best. That's, that's how I am. It's fucking embarrassing. Oh, gosh. Okay.

All right. So were you still playing drums? So you played drums on their record. So on our ferret release, the very first thing we put out, played drums in that, played drums on a lot of just breathing. So how are you writing songs, though, since you're the drummer, also the guitar player? So I would, at rehearsal, we would just bring our ideas,

so I'd have a guitar idea, so I'd show it to Joel. Like, what do you think of this? Cool, awesome. So he'd learn the riff, and then I'd learn the riff, and then I'd get behind drums and then I'd play the drums to it. Like, that's how I'd, you know, come up with my show of my guitar ideas, at least, yeah.

Other than that, I would just sit around and listen to what Mike's writing and what Joel's writing and just start playing drums, yeah. So, will you bring an A-Riff or a riff, this riff also goes along with this riff, or a whole, half a song? Sometimes I would just write a whole song. Yeah.

Okay. I've, I'm usually, like, I'll start a song and just be able to finish it. That's just the way my brain works. Really? Yeah. But it's, a lot of times it doesn't flesh out.

Like, if I can't finish it, sometimes I won't even just work on it anymore. I'll just trash it. It's so good. It feels so good to trash ideas sometimes. It's so good as an artist. It's liberating.

I'm telling you, like we're talking about earlier. I know, yeah. I don't want to clean up your riffs. You look at all the lists of riffs you got. You're like, that's a lot of riffs.

What am I going to do? It's a lot of riffs. Get rid of the ones that are like, you know, use my girls method. Three years. Yeah, something's sent around three years. get rid of it. You're not using it.

You're not using it. Get it out of here. Okay. Throw it away. The moment you leave, it's probably when I started doing it's like trash. Trash shit. Trash is our trash. Text me.

Let me know how many riffs you trash. I'll sell them. I'll sell them. I'll sound somebody. So how long would it take you to, so if you're bringing in like, if you're bringing in a full song, how long, how long are you doing that? Are you at home? I have a full day to write a fucking song. And then you bring it to a Joel, you consider it.

Later on, as the band progressed when I moved away from Massachusetts, when we weren't really able to jam anymore, I would just, I would write a song and then send it to the guys. And they'd rather say, like, cool, good to go. Or like, I like the song, but I hate that part. So, you know, we would rewrite a part together or something like that. Yeah, just I live as far away as possible for Massachusetts now in the continent of 48. So it's not easy to just, you know,

Hey, I'm going to come to practice. Yeah. Yeah, I think I heard Joel mention you and Joel that a numbered days was actually the first track you guys actually had and brought to the table. The first thing Mike and I ever jammed on was soil born on the ferret release. And then number days? I don't know about that, Joel. I don't know. It's out there.

That's what that's what the internet says. But that's a Mike bass riff song, so. Is it? That song stemmed from Mike, that whole first part. Yeah, me and Mike just. But a da-da-brida-brut-brud-a-bloodd-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d. Yeah. Also, so you guys really were a unit.

Just a bass and drum unit for a little while. You guys were like a unit. Everyone was kind of bringing something in. Yep. Okay. So are you still eating cookies at this point, like, and playing games? Okay. When am I?

I'm not eating cookies. And you have like a rip in your head. Oh my God. Like baked goods are like my, oh, my kryptonite, man. Like still,

it's still a struggle, man. I gain the most weight when I'm like, binge like Christmas time is my time of year, bro. I think I put on 10 pounds this year. Oh, pies and cookies and delights.

I know. It's the season. Think, Thanksgiving. Break out the nog. Let's go. Oh, I hate nog.

It's delicious. Uh, yeah, dude, Thanksgiving. Christmas just fucks you up. Especially when you get older, I wish there was no holidays ever. What? I love Thanksgiving.

I love Christmas. Man, I get fat, dude. Yeah. It's awesome. And then January, you're... Yeah. January starts and you're like, what have I done? Yeah.

Like all the joy goes away to take down the tree. There's nothing but sadness and indigestion. And then you go to gym is fucking pack with people. Yep, man. Oh, yeah. See, I'm, I'm a person that uses the gym year round. So, yeah. Yeah, the beginning of January is always the most annoying time of year to get in there.

And you're like, I hate all you people. Yeah. And then they slowly dwindle the law. Slowly. Every year, dude, it's crazy. Yep. It's why I like to go early. I'll go like a six.

That's the best time, man. Yeah, it's like, boom. Yep. Yeah, other people show apart, like around eight. people like the new people so i like show up yep and i'm i'm already gone yeah i've listening to corn records i'm done dude i'm fucking out dude yeah the gym is a a beautiful place man how long uh because since it's since it's uh all you guys are you i mean how often you guys jam and how uh or in how how long back back in the day yeah uh probably every saturday

i'm thinking like a long time ago like we'd have band practice on Saturdays. Yeah, like Saturday mornings. Yeah. You guys just build up ideas and that's brought it to table. Yep. Yeah. Once a week. Yeah, it was a really cool time the way we wrote music back then. You know, it was just, it was so like everyone had to pitch in and like it's also really frustrating because of the, the days where we bring these ideas in and they would just never turn into anything. So sure, you're just standing around with a couple other dudes. and like, I don't know. Do you want to like try a different idea?

Okay. And that ain't go anywhere. Like, all right, I guess we should just rehearse what we already have. It's like, you know, we'd have so many practices where we just wouldn't get anything done. Yeah, sometimes you bring, or something you have a sick. You know how it is, man. Yeah, sometimes you have a sick grip, you bring it in and it doesn't click. Yep.

It doesn't go anywhere. So, man, I thought this was going to fucking pop, but everyone puts their own thing. It's like, oh. but those days are only sick to you yeah everybody else is like i'm not feeling this i know that's the good thing about being in a band too everyone else doesn't like it it's usually a good sign that it sucks yeah so yeah mhm chop and block bro delete yeah it's got to have that fucking like energetic charge yeah or just something about it that's cool yeah i notice when someone's like um when someone is sitting down and

something hits that lazy person that said I won't say who it is but that lazy person stands up that's when I know oh bro when do you know when do you know when oh that that person likes it

I don't know I guess if everybody's kind of nodding their heads I guess that's a good sign yeah right did you guys did you fucking like feel anything like Once those songs were done and you heard Jesse's bogus... Nothing. Complete voids.

Like fucking psycho? No, obviously, you know, while you're creating it, there's got to be some sort of like... Hey, this is like something. That feels pretty good, you know what I mean? Like, you have to. That's how songs get created. Especially for me with vocals, lyrics.

That's what I really love producing. Yeah. When the lyrics are a tell a great... great message or tell a great story and like you know um and there's a if there's a cool melody that goes with it even even better you know so i love that i love putting together the lyrics and melodies to a song yeah yeah you kind of had that gift uh adam where you could work with um obviously you're also do other records like you you got to connect with the vocalist man absolutely if you if you could do that with multiple people man that's a right that's not you tell me i'm correct me if i'm wrong it's

probably like the hardest thing to do you know i don't know like you mean the the lyrics are the hardest thing to do yeah yeah to have them well that's why i i like working with jesse so much because he makes it uh much easier than a lot of lyricists i've worked with because he's everything he creates is so heartfelt like he really really really puts his all into what he wants to He's a very passionate guy. Yes. Passionate little dude. Yeah.

And you're completely opposite and not serious. Yes. It's great. It's great. Well, I guess I'm more, um, I guess, uh, I, I tend to, to use my brain a little more where he's using his heart a little more. Sure. And I'm very, very analytic.

Mm-hmm. When it comes to putting it all together. Yeah. Yeah. You know, like, oh, well, thank God. This doesn't sound like, you know, sounds sick. Yeah. So let's, let's just do.

Hey, Creed. a big band so they're fucking sick dude so it's so it's so interesting man so as songs son you're done is feeling okay these are the best songs let's let's put them out yeah just that's literally just let's make it the best it can be and you know make sure it has our personality and you know it sounds like us and yeah you guys okay maybe that maybe that's what i'm trying to find you guys just put yourselves So you guys all put yourselves, all like your personalities into it. Yeah, absolutely. Like I said earlier, our influences, you know, whatever gives us joy, you know, using that joy, kind of internalizing it all and then spitting it out in our own voice.

Yeah. Our own voice, yeah. Cool. It's cool that they also kind of trusted you, all the guys trusted you just to handle, like, the record as well. True. I mean, that's pretty funny. Because you would want to do the office, okay, well, we're signing to like a major, you're going to have to go to someone else,

but they still, they still trusted you. We like the DIY vibe. I think we're kind of, we have a little bit of pride about it, maybe. Who knows? Just, I think that's what keeps us distinctively who we are instead of relying on somebody

to give us. us like an outside opinion or like a fresh voice you know we're relying on ourselves to make the music that we think is best you know i wish i think more bands should do that to be honest with you yeah when it's a lot of bands do need producers don't get me wrong you know just having that that that vision that that drive and be like this is what we we sound like this is what we're doing Mm-hmm. It's more so now, actually. Like, bands are more doing it, like, themselves. Yeah, true.

Like, the bedroom. The bedroom records. Yeah. Yeah. It's like, oh, it's kind of like a recent thing. Maybe the past, like, five years maybe. Yeah. So again, again, Killswitch ahead of the curve.

Yeah. Ahead. Yeah. So it's a lot easier to make a good sounding record in your bedroom nowadays than it was back then. Oh, yeah. Oh, dude. It's fucking way, way, way different. So you guys, are any other members?

Of your band, competitive or everyone's just, you guys just chill? What's the? I don't know. I guess Mike's got a lot going on. He plays a lot of music, a lot of bands. Competitive, though? I don't know. Same with Justin.

He's not really competitive. Joel. Chill. Joel's chill. Yeah. Joel's very chill. Yeah. Extremely chill.

Yeah. Dude, what was it like? We all chill. Nice. Yeah. We're old now. Now, yeah, it's a little bit. I'm getting a little bit more hateful as a good older.

Oh, yeah. The hate is real. I'm just grumpy. Yeah. My body hurts more, so I'm just, you know, pretty wired to just be, you know, grumpy. Yeah. Ow. Get up from the chair.

Ow. Ow. That's what we got to do. Yoga, man. Yeah. Yoga sit. Let me get some surgeries first. Then I'll do yoga.

Oh, my goodness. Did you have back surgery? Two of them. Two of them. Yeah. Did you have an accident on tour? One of them happened on tour. Yeah.

One of them was such a massive disc herniation. What happened? Just disc herniations. They're pretty common, you know, but my back. I first herniated a disc in my lower back when I was 16 years old and got an MRI and the doctor was like, you have the spine of a. 60 year old. Oh no. And your 60 degenerative disc condition

it's called. Oh no. So yeah it's pretty much like my cartilage just melts. Yeah. So there you go. See those little things that are circled? That looks just like my MRI. That's what it is. So what causes that? See the white bit right there? Yeah. That's your spinal canal. That's your spinal cord. Okay. So I don't know

if you know this, but that's where all the nerves are. Okay. That's where the nerves are. So it's pretty much just this gelatinous cartilage being squished into your spinal nerve. So at that point, different people have sciatic pain down the back of their legs into their ass. Some people get pins and needles in their toes. Some people, like me, mine was so extreme, I started losing sensation in my feet. And I still have nerve damage in my feet where I can't feel part of my toe. are freaky because the nerve was just so compressed and so damaged yeah so that's thus the

emergency surgery like I was just having trouble walking the pain was so insane yeah was that was that the same injury that that when you were 16 which is yes yeah different disc it just kind of came came up yeah just they started falling like you know one after another is it from the show what was or just it's got a lot of it has to do with genetics a lot of it has to do with my large frame being fat seriously you are genetics and large frame yeah I'm a bigger mass of a man you know yeah you are you are a tall a taller person than me all dice are than a smaller person I'm like a you know like dogs no don't see that it's real it's real um God, I can't remember which friend of mine it was,

but a large friend of mine met Sasha Baron Cohen, and he's a large person as well. Yeah. And it's the funniest thing. He said that. He's like, you're large like me. We're going to die before everybody else. He's right.

He's right. He's a large guy. Chihuahuas live forever. Great Danes, they go quick. How long does it chihuahua live compared to a lot? a great dane i don't know that's the internet yeah i think jay we might might need to

figure it out so is that like a thing chihuahua probably goes let six look at this 20 years maybe 20 years not do a great dean lifespan yeah great watch this look at that oh wow i didn't know that 10 years like half the time that's freaking half the life you never never knew this no

larger the breed the sooner you go bro enjoy the ride man and i'm a large breed dog Well, that gives hope for all the short people. Oh, I want to be tall. I want to be Adam D. He's tall, man.

But then I hate being big. Hate it. Flying sucks. Just fitting anywhere. You know, bunks on tour buses. Oh, yeah. It sucks. It's like you're in a coffin.

That must sucks, dude. That was fucking, you're trying to fucking get comfortable and sleep. Yeah. You can't even lay down. Barely roll over. Yeah. Oh, that sucks, man. I'm sorry, man.

I always hit my head a lot. I'm clumsy, you know. It's great for reaching the glasses on the top of the cupboard. That's pretty cool. It's definitely a plus. What else? That's it, huh? No, no, no, scene.

Seen a show. All my joints hurt, though. It's awful. Yeah. I was going to ask you, what happened to your knee? I maybe 10 to 15 years ago somewhere in that time span um it's funny I was on my way to Australia and I love Hawaii so I stopped in Hawaii um just for a few days just chill yeah of course and um our drummer uh this is for times of grace our drummer met us there I met me there on the

way there to Australia stopped in Hawaii I got there before him I went for a jog that morning and then sat on the beach before I went to the airport to go pick him up get up from the sand and just feel pow and I'm like oh crap that's not good so went to the airport picked him up told him what happened like oh that sucks and went to the hospital and I tore the shit out of my meniscus what started with that um just from sitting up just from sitting up Isn't that crazy? How old were you? I have no idea of like 30, early 30s, maybe.

Oh my goodness, dude, that's, that sucks. So, like, we're on our way to Australia, and the doctor's like, he probably needs some sort of surgery. I'm like, okay. So toward Australia on a torn meniscus. Oh, that's stupid. Got home, and then, you know, talked to the doctor. where he ended up thinking I had to just like get a little scope, get the little torn fragment trimmed out.

He ended up taking a bunch of, I woke up from surgery. He was like, I'm really sorry. I took out a lot more than I thought were going to have to. I'm like, okay, cool. But lived pretty pain-free for several years,

and then it's just been a downward spiral since then. Really? It's really painful. Yeah. So I'm actually looking into knee replacement now. Really? Yeah. Yep.

just spoke to my doctor about it. I'm ready for a new knee. Ready. Make me a robot. I want to be a fucking robot. What did they tell you? That it's bad. But fake knees are sick.

Is this you? Yeah. Do you're... Well, I'm the before. Okay. Like, pretty much look at me. I'm the before picture on any condition. Dude, is that steel you think?

Yeah. That'll be sick. You're still knee? Yeah. Well, I mean, the technology is there. Right. I'm ready. Did they give me a fucking Terminator.

Did they give you any options or? No, I'm not that far into it yet. Okay. The last knee doctor I had knee surgeon was told me I was too young for a knee surgery. I'm like, that's bullshit. That's such bullshit. I was, what, 45 when I saw him and I was like, no, no, no. Okay.

It's not too old. When you're in constant pain, you know, it's like, like me on stage sucks sometimes. It's just, it hurts. so bad. Yeah. Is that why you drinks one's beer prior? It helps. Oh, dude, this looks sick, dude. I want that new knee, bro. Look at that. Look at that thing. Dude, the technology is there, man. Make me the Terminator. Let's do it. Oh, my old. Yeah. Give me that thing. Wow. Normally, I would pique, but for some reason, it's not that bad. Fuck. There's no guts involved. It's just bone. Well, Adam, good luck.

I always want me, what's wrong with his knee? He has a stone cold knee brace there. Yeah, yeah, it sucks. Yeah, that's fucking... Getting old is not fun. No. No. Especially when you're large.

Great Dane. Gonna die. Yeah, you're hurting more. You have more feelings. Yeah. You have more thoughts. Yeah, the thoughts are very intrusive. Yeah.

Oh, yeah, I can't just be young and ignore them. And not care about anything anymore. Yeah. Yeah, you can't be selfish, you know, you can't. Life's a lot better if you just don't care. Yeah. It's hard and do that, though, in it? It's hard.

It's hard. I remember, remember it to be a first time I had a, how do you say this? I had a conscious thought. It's crazy to say, how? I hope you have a lot of those. Thank you. No, this is like, it was like, do you, do you not have those regularly? Oh, no, no, no, don't know.

Oh, yeah. No, I'm talking like early 20s. This guy. What the fuck? It was, it was early 20s. Okay. Yeah. All right.

I was just thinking, I'm like, oh, wow. I probably shouldn't be like an asshole. You know, it was like the first time like having a thought. And I'm like, oh, shit. Like, you probably shouldn't be an asshole. No. This was early 20s and then been recovering ever since. Yeah.

Yeah. And I think that's what life's all about. I don't think I truly grew up until. I get 30. Really? Yeah, I think it's, that's pretty normal. Yeah.

30. Especially for guys, you know, I feel like women mature a lot quicker. They got their shit together a lot quicker than men. Well,

it's probably because you got to have kids, right? I don't know. They're just wired differently. They're just, they're smarter, I guess. Oh.

Yeah. Just get their emotional baggage together a lot sooner than men. Mm-hmm. And 35, I felt like I had a grasp on, on things. Like,

like the thoughts. Yeah. Like, I figured out at 35, I figured out what, uh, what self-doubt was. Yeah, that's a hard one to learn, in it. Yeah. Oh, God. That was, uh, and I go, and the older you get, you just get more. You get it more of it.

It's so fucking weird, dude. It's really bad, like right now being off the road so long, or I'm leaving for tour in a week. And that self-doubt is just owning me right now. Like, do I know how to play guitar? Is it that bad? Yeah. Oh, wow. Yeah.

Yeah. Yeah. Like, do I, do I even sound good? Can I riff? You know, I mean, it's just, when you, yeah, a rolling stone guy that's going, no moss. You know, right now I'm pretty mossy. Wow, really?

Yeah, really, you know, when you're away from doing it for a long time, at least me, I just feel like less confident, you know? That's weird. You don't get that way? You're going to be like, I'm going to take a year off from touring, and then I'm going to just drop in flawlessly. You feel like that way? Self-doubt is more like, uh,

it's more, I just do like the, imposter syndrome kind of stuff but if it's not that then I'm like I am that guy hey I'm go up there and kill it oh so wow we are wired different we are so different I thought we're gonna have a lot more in common but we're the complete opposite we are like so the opposite it is it is wild yeah it was it was a it was a luck of cannabis I was this high like in my room alone thinking and like I this voice came in and it's like oh like like you suck you and I was like oh this is what self-doubt is and then learning how like the process like the thoughts

I was like oh wow this is what that is okay interesting and then I ever get picked on when you were a kid oh oh yeah well that that's what drives me yeah yeah okay yeah there you go oh yeah any like little like any like any uh being picked on anything to happen as a child childhood trauma yeah so it goes all into the music wow it's I should have done that instead of letting it consume me. No, no, it's, it's, it's work for you, you know? Yeah, I'll say, man, like, it's insane to think about, I'm still doing it and never really, like, had to sweat it out, like,

for the years and years and years and then have it fail, you know, like, it's a lot of stories go for a lot of dudes starting bands, you know. I know, man, and we're talking really, like, you, you, uh, you dealt with your life curveball so so well as well I'm like fascinated like it's like people just dream and work their ass off and try to get like just being a ban and they do it now you it's almost impossible it's almost you look at the odds it's almost impossible yeah and then you get there and then jesse quits yeah via via email oh yeah yep that's that was insane cool well that was fun yeah dude how do you how do you

did you handle that uh very you know just like it is what it is we can't the singer's obviously the hardest person to replace because of the voice you know that people tend to gravitate to lyrics and the the vocals you know that's that voice you literally the voice of the band um so and obviously once we heard howard it was like oh wow this is completely Completely different, but holy crap. You know what I mean? It was awesome. We're like, at first you're thinking, like, we got to find somebody that sounds just like Jesse.

And then we didn't do that at all. And it was like, it was pretty crazy to watch how everyone was so like, yeah, it doesn't sound like the old guy, but this is cool too. You know, which is awesome. Yeah. I was just like, how did people become so accepting of it? I don't know, but thanks. Yeah. Yeah, I was curious, like your thought process of it,

oh, am I going to get someone? Yeah, that's where my brain goes. I'm like, we got to find somebody who can sing the songs that Jesse wrote perfectly, you know. But he, you know, don't be wrong, Howard sings them perfectly for him. It doesn't sound like Jesse, though. No. but but still maintain the integrity and sound yeah it's like again almost impossible so you did

you did two things almost impossible within like a like a year span yeah right pretty nuts you're fucking freak dude what the how did again do you look it just might be luck i don't know i got i got you know handed the shit end of the stick with the the health problems but uh with the band luck you know it's all roses holy crap dude was there like a were you trying out different guys or what's the... Yeah, we tried out a bunch of people

both times when we got Jesse back we tried out a lot of people yeah because you know, you never know unless you try. Yeah. Who is one of the people

you tried out the second time when Jesse came back? Oh God, I can't remember. Oh, yeah. It was a long several days of tryouts. Many, many, many days.

How many people? A bunch. Oh, really? Yeah. So think about playing the same song over and over again. I'm like, oh, God. So, obviously when Jesse came in, he sang his songs great. But, you know, having him do Howard's songs, you know what I mean?

Like, that's one thing we told him. Like, at first he was like, I don't know if I want to do that. You don't want to sing our biggest songs. Like, you can't be in the band then. So I was like, okay, I better. do that. So yeah. Hmm.

Yeah. Man, so it's just three, three days grind out. Yeah. See what feels good. Yeah. See what feels right. And at that point, I was, I had the side project with Jesse, Times of Grace. So there was obviously like that report.

Yeah. There's like two of us. Yeah. And again, you guys didn't even. So he comes back with, with Times of Grace, you guys didn't even consider. that he might be back in a band. When we were in Times of Grace together? Yeah. Well, once, you know, Howard was gone, it was obviously, like,

that would be a great fit because he was in the band before. Yeah. Yeah. But like I said, he was just reluctant. You better try out, dude. Yeah. He was reluctant to sing Howard's songs at first. So I'm just like, that's not going to work.

Get out of here. Mm, you know. Wow. Okay. Yeah, I dude, I never like having people try out. Yeah, it's awkward, isn't it? You don't know the person? It's so awkward, dude.

We haven't done it since like, like pre first record. I can't do it. I had to like sit down on the person talk to him. Okay, fine. And like, they might be super nervous, so they might blow it. Like, you know. I know, oh God, it's so tough. You see them in a band like a year later and you're just like,

you know what I mean Oh that's tough man Yeah We've been lucky that we haven't had Any real member changes since that Yeah you guys have really stayed like Like a unit man Yeah it's cool

Or one weird family Yeah Lucky that I for the most part Get along everybody Yeah You guys are for sure family Since there's like this misconception of a win like when like you when you're doing it or like people think like you're making like a ton of money

and um you know kill switch was is still like it was a face like especially after that record came out it was like oh this is the record literally this is it and everyone's happy for you guys and also pissed off at the same time you know it's like well there there it is and you were just didn't even give a fuck that's sick we're just doing our thing man and um yeah yeah How long did it, how old were you when you moved out of, of your parents' basement? Late 20s. Late 20s, nice. Late 20s, I would say.

And then how old were you? I think I actually moved out before that. Okay. But when we started touring more, I was like, why am I paying rent for a place I'm not going to be at half the year or more? Yeah. Like, my dad, can I come back and just leave my stuff here? and then when I'm home to her, I can just sleep there. Nice.

Yeah. Ugh. Fine. Yeah. Yeah. So I think I moved out earlier, like maybe early 20s. Okay. And then moved back once the band started picking up momentum.

Yeah. Okay. Yep. Yeah, because people just... And then left again late 20s. Yeah, of course. Yeah. People just fucking think, like, oh, they must be fine, you know?

Money-wise? Yeah. Back in the day, we were paying buy-ons for tours, so we weren't making anything. You're doing bi-ons? Yeah, we were doing bi-ons. Are you serious? Oh, yeah. You were a bi-on band?

Oh, yeah. I never fucking knew that. Yeah. We're going to do buy-ons. Bions always, or not always, but they're, yeah. Yeah, guarantees are nothing. You know, you're literally just like, please buy a bunch of T-shirts. Yeah.

Man, it sounds like people really didn't, like, believe in it. What's that? The band members? No, like people outside of you. Well, I don't know. I mean, if bands are like putting together like a tour package, hey, this is a sick band coming out. Okay, throw them on.

No, they got to. Yeah, yeah. They got to pay. Right. I guess that's just the law of the land. Interesting. When you're starting off, you know. I didn't know what that was going on back then, to be honest.

Because bands do it now. And honestly, it's usually. It's weird. Yeah. I never really like that concept, but... It's not sick. No, it's not sick. Especially for a band that's beginning, you know what I mean?

Starting out, like, man, you're really kind of putting them in a position, you know? I know. Now we're losing money doing that, and then what are they going to make? 500 bucks a night? You know, like, it's going to cover the gas. You know, maybe some Tebes runs where, like, how many grilled stuff burritos can you eat in a day? You know what I mean? My goodness.

Hard, man. I feel bad for all the young bands. I have to do that. That's gnarly. Yeah. Yeah. That sucks, dude. Well, now I have a different opinion if I see a buy-on band.

Well, you never know. Yeah. Maybe they'll explode and make the band that made them buy-on buy-on to their tour. I never... Suck it, buy on our tour. I never heard of a band doing that, open up a tour, and buying on, and then...

Yeah. You guys did it. Yeah, we had to. Holy crap, dude. What made you move from a mask to here? Man, what's not to love about Southern California except, you know, traffic, obviously. Yeah. But like I said, I love hiking.

I love using my knee when I can. Yeah. I just love being outdoors. I love being outdoors. I think it's so good for your mental, too. So, like, that's the best thing about this time of year, too. everyone's thinking it's winter but like okay i'm gonna get my like a little camper trailer and go to the des bro have a big fire out in the desert and blanket of stars and great hiking and you know and then

midday if you want to go up to the mountain see some snow we can and then by the end of the night you get back down to the beach watch sunset i have a couple west coast ipeas dude drinking beer and it's why it's watching the sunsets love the beer culture in san Diego county yeah yeah dude that's kind of the place to drink dude there's a lot a lot of breweries good craft beer in san diego a lot of good craft beer it's incredible yeah well you you have great stuff in orange county as well you know but it's just a a great place to drink good fresh beer yeah yeah san Diego's really got like the rep of like this this kind of yeah this has great beers there yeah Sure does.

Great, great breweries. Someone's trying to turn me on to the Black Plague. Yeah. Yeah, they do good stuff. Yeah. I never had any of their beers yet, but someone said you got to try their seltzer. And I hear it. Every brewery's doing a seltzer now because everybody wants the seltzer, low calorie.

That's fine. I don't like them. Of course you don't. That's just me. Well, no. I'm that old fat guy that just wants calories. Yeah. So, but see, see what other, Adam, what other people are doing is they're drinking alcohol, but they still want the, you know.

The buzz? No, they want the buzz, but they also don't want the extra calories. Right, right. See, to me, that's what's going on. I don't really like wine or hard alcohol at all. Like, it's just doesn't do it for me. For me, it's the flavor profile, and it's a beer. And, yeah, it might be full of calories, but, you know, it's delicious.

It's an art. in an art form for yeah man hundreds and hundreds of years you know yeah do the best thing is to have a one of my favorite things to do ever is have a IPA or even like a triple if if they have in a seat dance play yeah right it's something about like that yeah that fucking heavy beer and you're just watching music you're like wow yeah kind of let like the guard down a little like a little bit and you're like I love metal I love beer yeah we just went to a board it at brick by brick and Sandy ago. How was that?

So sick. So sick. It was nice to hear the drummer be human a couple times. Oh, yeah. I was like, oh, I heard a little skipping the kick drum. Yes. Yeah. Yeah.

It was awesome, though. Like, God, they grind. They're so good. Yeah, yeah, Ken's a freak. It's insane. He's like, he's this dude that's just almost created his own drumming language, you know. It's crazy. Oh, is that?

That's where you got the shirt. Yeah, yeah. Okay. I was like, oh, where did Adam get this freaking brand new boarded shirt, dude? That's sick. Yeah, it was awesome. Good show. Great bands.

And Sven is a, he's an OG man. Yeah, yeah. I just respect people that have been doing it for such a long time. You got to. Right. You fucking put in a time, dude. Yep. With anything, really.

I mean, they fucking put in the years, dude. It's still doing it. It's pretty crazy. Do you think how long they've been around? Yeah, just been grinding the whole way, man. Everything's just literally brutal. Yeah, so brutal. Literally, dude.

You can't, you can't fuck with life for this, man. You can't. You can't, dude. So what, uh, so at home, what, what are you doing? You're just fucking hiking. Right now, I'm taking care of my better half because she had surgery. I'm going to be there for her. And a lot, I've started rehearsing because, like I said, the, um,

the scary thoughts are coming in. Like it's so weird. Make sure you can play guitar, bro. Make sure you still know how to. Rehearsing a bunch. Working on the getting together the last little bits of the project for me and Howard. We've got a new thing coming out. Hopefully by the end of the year.

Once I get that out of the way, I've been working on it for so damn long. I'm looking to finish up. I've got five songs done. I'd like to get another five written. for another serpentine dominion record with uh corpsey nice yeah i love corpsi who doesn't love corpsy great guy man he's uh is shen gonna play drums or i don't know i don't even know if shannon plays drums anymore this is insane um last time i spoke to him he was just like yeah i'm not not so much into doing it's you know doing it anymore because it's just it takes so much effort to stay on time

he doesn't play any heel-toe stuff he's like old school like yeah real real dude you know so like if you don't get that whole heel-tooth method down it's like you can't compete with these kids man they like oh yeah they're like it's insane it's insane it's insane how fast everyone is now it's like my god i don't know how to do it i can barely keep you know 190 going dilal li li li li li li li li li li li li li li li li li li li li li li li li li li li li li li li yeah kids you're just fucking Find a new new way to like reinvent like playing kick and my god now you're just like Awesome. Oh yeah people and and these doubles dude yeah It's so sick it's freaking it's freaking crazy dude. It's so sick

Our drummer Ernie plays doubles in them I've been throwing some simple rips at him Oh it's it's nice it's it's nice to get a sick drummer the kind of struggle with a simple pattern that that is my thing, dude. Give him a fucking stupid 4-4 ripping. They're like, hey. Yeah.

Struggling. Dude, people fucking, they, they, they love Shannon. People just love him. He was just here. Oh,

right on. Yeah, for, uh, he was here for a nam and, uh, you probably, so he is still playing.

Good. Yeah. I think, I think, I think he's still playing, man. Hmm. People just love him.

Yeah. Do you have a timeline for the, uh, uh, uh, serpentine record or just trying to, like I said, I got to get this Howard record out of my life.

That sounds so terrible to say, but I just been fucking working on it for so long. It's like I said earlier too. It's like when you spend too much time on something, you just make it worse. You know, I'm at that point where I've heard these songs so much. I'm just like,

I don't even know if it's better this way or that way or, you know. Yeah. I'd like to get it buttoned up and then I can put all my, you know, all my brain power to write in heavy grindy riffs. Mm-hmm. Yeah.

You've been literally, like, you've literally been going since you started, like, to produce records, and you're still, and you're- I just like making music. And you're literally still doing it. Even if it's just my own. Like, I was lucky enough to be able to do this project with George, because, like, it was insane to me that he said, yes, you know what I mean?

I'm surprised he did it. Now, I'm like, I'm, like, I'm, like, making music with a death metal hero. You know what I mean? It's insane. You know, and then being able to make a record with, Howard again. Howard's a great friend of mine and I think he's a great singer and it's like...

It's a great singer, man. Like, here I am making music with all these legendary dudes, you know? It's awesome. Yeah. I'm surprised he said, yeah, man. Who? George.

Oh, yeah. I don't know if he'd say, go at anything. Oh, really? No, no. It's different when someone says yes when they're drunk. It's different.

Maybe I surprised them when I showed him the song. You got it. Maybe that was it. But like, he was just stoked because he likes melody a lot, you know. He doesn't listen to just death metal. He likes, you know, melodic metal too. So, like, I think when he heard a project that he could put his vocals down on with, like, harmonized parts everywhere. And I think he was like, awesome, awesome.

Let's do this. It could be fun. And then it's fun for me to, like, do clean vocals along with him. Oh, wow. It's just, it's like something, you know, that. probably shouldn't exist, but does. Yeah. Yeah, it's cool.

It's cool. I mean, you're just, you're to do it. It just loves to create. It seems like, I do. If I'm not making stuff, I become real sad. Yeah. I just like making things. Yeah.

Do you think that kind of drives you? Like, hey, like, if I, if I stop, I'm just going to get, like, severely, like, depressed. Depressed as hell, yes. Really? Absolutely. I found it. I feel like I'm falling very far away from the whole engineering aspect. of making music because I get really depressed with it because it's so damn analytic

instead of creative you know oh yeah yeah like slicing narrow cues out of guitar tones and cues it's just like I rather just like write the parts and make it feel sick you know yeah that's funner that's way fun yeah dude I was just I was just looking at your timeline I'm like this fucking it's it's just crazy like that all like the records that that you've done that that that had a big impact. That normal gene record you did? Long time ago. Martyrs.

So that's my era. I was literally at a local show in Corona where I'm born raised. I still live. Class house? No, it's Pomona. No, it's, uh, that's Pomona.

So it's probably, uh, you guys play Showcase. Yeah, yeah, right. That's what I think is like, it's like right fucking there. I went there and I'm like, dude, these, they're in high school. They're like, so I'm like one of oldest guys.

there is weird and um man everyone's in high school like crap in there a band goes up there and like starts covering one of those songs i was like wow it's all it's all it's all people knew like the words my it's all kind of coming back like wow that's this and and you're dude you you were you were part of all that adam yeah and you're just maybe right place right time i don't know but i just like i said it's it's the creative thing in me man i just like being creative when when i get the chance to work with the band and make them better. It's a cool feeling, you know. Yeah.

One thing, I think one of the most things I want to give you props for is now sitting down with you. There's no, just a lack of ego is really cool. And I think the most fascinating record you did was that Parkway record. Because you're like the, you put out the record that everyone was like, oh, well, okay, we're fucking done pretty much. then you helped out basically like the younger band coming up yeah it's like it's and they're such good dudes they're such good dudes that's a really cool thing yeah

you probably gave them all all your secrets in his it was just a lot of ball busting honestly yeah i think i think i think ozies are they have that sarcastic flare to them as well oh yeah so it was just i think it was just back and forth ball busting the all time it's like good time yeah yeah Nice. Maybe I shouldn't be here. Maybe I'm meant to be East Coast or somewhere else because no one likes a ball bus around here. It's fun to ball bus. I'm trying to fucking talk shit to people, but it's not working, dude. It's a good quality to have a sense of humor, you know, where you're not taking yourself too serious, you know?

Yeah, yeah. You've always been that way, huh? Even like pre-Killist, but you always, you just never took yourself too seriously, but you took the music seriously. Yeah, well, music's awesome. music's awesome why wouldn't you right yeah yeah you've always been that way and even um you i like riffs yeah and you you're always you and uh even regardless if with your stage stuff but even when band said something like you just didn't care it's cool yeah you can't let it dry and you man yeah but what do you do when it's like carry king or like max yeah what do you do

You just not say that fuck it. Oh, that sucks. We wish we were friends, but whatever. Never spoke to him? Well, what can you say? What do you? Why don't you like me? You know what I mean?

I would say, fuck you, dude. No. I don't care. That's cool, man, that's cool. I don't like every band out there either, you know, so. Yeah. What are you going to do? You can't please everybody.

That's true. Yeah. Like I said, I'm just lucky that there are enough people out there that care about the music that we create that we're still doing it still doing it man that i think that's amazing you know just that right there a little positive spin on it you know you're a positive guy huh yeah not all the time okay what gets you pissed my my girl's laughing her ass off what gets him pissed what everything every little thing on the face of the our ladies see the see see the other side The what?

The clouds. Yeah, our fucking dogs are nightmares. Mm. Wow. But I love them to death. Three dogs? Yeah, three dogs. They're the best.

So the dogs get you pissed? I can't have anything nice. I've had guitars broken, things in the house broken. It's just my car smells like just a diarrhea hole. Have you fixed your sweating issue? My sweating issue? Yeah? No.

Okay. No. This morning I had to mop up after I was done working out. that's probably not going to change no no and you always sweat a lot that's partially the why my guitar's designed the way it is you know with the the the jack instead of like being on the backside with you know the upside down jack it's to traditional jack so the sweat can't pool into the cavity oh wow um i for some stupid reason was using passives for a while and those would have to be like replaced every a couple of weeks i was

sweating out passive electronic. But, you know, most active units are housed so that, you know, liquid can't get into them. Like, I believe both EMG and fishermen, like, you can pretty much, like, dunk them in water and then put them back in your guitar and they're going to be fine. Oh, shit. So switch back to, and obviously, active sound better for metal. So, yeah, got one active pickup in my bridge, and that's it. One volume knob. You know, obviously you don't need a pickup.

selector. Yeah. Just nothing to sweat out. Oh, I got a great story for you too when I was playing EVHs, they're bolt-ons. And I sweat my stage guitar so much. I sweat it out so hard that the four bolts in the back of the neck to bolt it onto the body, they started to rot where you could take. They're totally fastened, tight it all the way.

You could take my neck. and move it like that. Oh, no. It was insane because all of the moisture that was sticking, like getting into the, it's an issue. The bolt holes. Yeah. It was insane.

Yeah. That's the one. That's the one. I love that guitar. That's an issue, man. We don't want to, we don't have that issue anymore. My, yeah, the signature one now is neck through. So you can't do that.

Oh, yeah. Good. Good. Yeah. Neck through. Not moving. Now you're playing a comparison. And then you left him for a while, right?

And then you started pretty much. trying trying shit out yeah trying some stuff out and came back yeah the comparison was like hey if you come back we'll make a your own guitar and i was like that's kind of cool you got me yeah it's they've always made great guitars i don't know i guess that was always like the grass might be greener on the other side yeah even though everything was probably fine yeah guitar players have that mind Guitar's like, though, you know. Guitar players have that mind, dude. Yeah.

Yeah. They always want to try, like, the new stuff. I just realized that the seventh sign here. Someone needs to tell me that for now on. Yeah. Yeah, we always want to try new, new shit. Yep. You know?

Yep. But that's, it's a blessing and a curse. Well, I'm sorry about your sweating, man. I don't know. Sweating is sweating. It's very human thing to do. I think it's fine. Some people think it's,

gross, whatever. Very human thing. Hey, Jay, you have any questions? I know you're a fucking massive fan of a metal core. Metal core, I mean, in the whole. Oh, cool, perfect. What's the thing of, I think guitars with one pickup sound worse than guitars with two pickups. Really? Yeah. Why is that? I don't know. I feel like there's like a chunk missing. There's actually a chunk gained. Exactly. So by theory, More wood, more sustain, bro.

Yes, but when you play it, it doesn't... I love my guitar. Okay. It is the most aggressive sounding guitar ever. Really? I think, yes. Stainless steel frets. Okay.

It adds even more bite. Okay. It's just, it's just angry. It's an angry sounding guitar. Okay. Yeah. I'm wondering, because I'll play something like only one pick up. It's a one trick pony, but like, it's a freaking cool trick.

Nice. Yeah, yeah, I wonder because I would only use like the pickup. I'll take out like the like the toggle switch and the tone and all that. But I will leave the pickup solely for that. I'll take it out. I'm like, uh, something's missing. I wonder if it's mental. I don't think so though.

Yeah? And I'll leave the pickup in there. I'll put tape over the pickup. It's just like it felt chunkier. All right. Maybe. Because I know that you play with a lot of bands and a lot of, you heard it in the studio. I was just wondering, like, there is.

Maybe you might have heard something. That's kind of like a thing I had in my brain for many years. So you never heard anything like that? What, with just one pickup? Yeah. It sounds awesome. Oh, okay. Well, maybe I'm just an idiot.

Well, I am, but it's fine. It's fine. Adam, do we, do we miss anything? You want anything out there about? No, I'm just here to chill. We're going to go get some food. Have a West Coast IPA. Is that for lunch?

Yes. Late lunch, early, dinner, whatever. I'm not going to lie, I get up early, so it's getting close to dinner time already. What time do you get up? Anywhere between 5.30 and 6.30 usually. Okay, it's cool. That's same. I like getting up before the sun.

It feels good. Oh, do you just get out there. You look outside. I'm like, yeah, it sounds like, there's not even out yet. My dogs are trained, seven and seven. They're at 630. They're by their dog bowls, no matter what. Yeah, oh yeah.

Like, well, come on, dude. Let's go. It's time. The day they saw you hungover, we don't go fuck. Yep. Like, we don't care. We don't care about you how you feel. Dad, just food.

Yeah. Party. Well, maybe next time. I was kind of, to be honest, I was kind of looking forward to drinking with you, but next time. Yeah, we got some miles to drive. Yeah. Yeah.

Yeah. Yeah. Well, next podcast, you have to do a remote podcast. We'll do it at a brewery. Oh. There you go. The brewery. Next time.

Or whenever there's a show or, whatever we're gonna bump into each other yeah man yeah i had i had it literally sort of podcast is to sit down with you yeah well you you know i'm pretty much a local bro success just let me know okay i will although that that stretch of five is can be they're quite treacherous with the traffic do we're actually in your area often because uh san diego is like my uh my lady's like favorite place to go oh so so so so we'll go down like every other jerk in l a in orange county that's Crowds are roadways And we're like

Where did all these freaking people come from? God That's us That's us Get out of here, build a wall No, it's true Yeah, we'll stay at the hard rock By the Padres

Just walk that One of the best stadiums in America It is, huh? It's nice I love that park It's great It's great It has its own vibe

Yep It's kind of crazy They've been having They've been having shows there now too Yeah Exactly Yeah, they do the Gallagher Square, like park inside the park vibe. It's pretty cool.

It's a cool spot. Yeah, we just saw thrice there a little while ago. Really? Yeah. Just them? No, them in Manchester Orchestra. Oh, wow. So, yeah, it's cool.

It was raining. Never rains in San Diego. It's like raining during their show. Like, oh, man, that sucks. Even better. Yeah. It's a vibe, dude. Yeah.

Just freaking vibe in. dude. As outside, nice, man. Yeah, very cool. Well, yeah, I'm going to go to where Adam's freaking hammer, dude. That's when you know. Well, Adam, so where can people find you?

What, around town? No, the band and internet. Oh, yeah, well, I'm in a band called Kill Switch Engage. I'm in a band called Times of Grace. I'm in a band called Serpentine Dominion, and another band called Burn a Turn. have projects from two of those bands coming out this year and hopefully another release next year. Yeah.

Okay, cool. Keeping it busy. Yeah, uh, find them on IG. Yeah, IG websites. We're, we're on tour like pretty much the whole year, Kill Switch is. So leaving in about a week. I'm going to see you. It would be nice to see you folks if you want to come out.

Sick. Yeah, cool. Oh yeah, and the dates will be in the description for those you listening, watching all those dates. Leave on the 5th in Nashville. Nice, dude. Yep. That's where it starts. Are you guys driving there?

No. No, God, no. God no. No. It's a long drive. Yeah, to fuck that. Fuck that. I could fucking barely get you here.

Yeah. I don't do. I really appreciate your time, man. Thank you. No sweat at all. Thank you, man. I'm glad I got, you too, man. I got really excited when I found out that you were doing it.

Cool. It sucks to people I want to hang out with. Don't hang out. It's like, dude, Adam is. Do you want to come to San Clemente right now? Yes, go. There's, dude, there's like a thing where the people I, go on tour, they just don't hang out. You, it's you.

We're going to San Clemente right now. Come on. Okay. Willie. Monkey. Accomplished the impossible. Accomplish the impossible. I'm on the tour and I'm by myself.

Where were you that whole tour? I don't know. Where were you? I don't know. Catering? Yeah. Catering. Drinking.

Yeah? I think. Well, I hung out with Dan Kenny a bunch, so where were you? Where were you? I try to stay away from him. He hits a certain point, I mean. Yeah, it's just I party now, but I don't. I do have a line.

Yeah. It's just like I kind of have to. He rages. It's a good time. Yeah, he's our, he's our face, dude. Yeah. Cool. All right, Adam.

Dude, thank you for everything that you've done for metal, man. Oh, I'm just, appreciate it. I always love music. It's cool, man. That's it. I learned a lot about you, man.

All right, Adam, thank you, man. Hell yeah. Appreciate it. All right, everyone. That's it. Later. Thanks, everybody. Fuck off.

Ha ha.