spineshank! 
    :: one of the most powerful and melodic nu metal groups return from short retirement... 
    mhhh, retirement, maybe the wrong word' but one thing for sure, spineshank kicks ass! 
    we met the guys in cologne on promo tour, with their new album "self destructive pattern", 
    through good old germany. 

FRK: The Spineshank history, what should we know? Tommy Decker: We've been in Germany one time before.That was with Fear Factory in '98 or '99...How far back the days do you wanna go? FRK: How far would you go? Tommy Decker: We started in 1994.Our first album came out in '98.We were touring with every band that gave us the opportunity.

    FRK: Mhhh,I think...let's talk about the new album.History is not so important. The band and 
    the music are much more important.Your new album "Self Destructive Pattern" shows that you
    have experienced some good progress.One way,I think,it's kind of harder in comparison to 
    "The Height Of Callousness".The guitar riffs are much more aggressive;the voice is melodic 
    and aggressive at the same time.

    What do you think? How would you describe the album?

    Tommy Decker: I mean...it was definitely hard,because we know that we just made a record 
    that we are really proud of,but we didn't want to repeat ourselves.Our last record was just very
    "in your face" the whole time - all the way across.And now,one of the big things we try to do is
    to give you like "peaks and valleys".So there's still all these dynamics,and when the heavy part 
    is kickin' in,it means more as supposed to be heavy the whole time.

    FRK: What bands are you currently listening to when you're at home?

    Tommy Decker: Actually weird stuff.Sometimes Weezer or Elton John; sometimes Slayer, 
    Chimaira.Anything between The Beatles and Slayer.

    FRK: Is there a band which had really big influence on your own music?

    Tommy Decker: What really made us wanna play music is stuff like Mötley Crüe, Guns 'n Roses, 
    Pantera,Metallica - like "back in the days".And now,to be honest to you,we get a lot of our 
    inspiration from ourselves,like "Can I deal to do a song like this?".Because once you started 
    listening to bands of today you gonna be derivered,you gonna sound like everyone else.
    You kinda gotta stay away from that.

    FRK: Do you guys remember the first record you ever bought?

    Tommy Decker: Mine was either ZZ Top,Eliminator; or Van Halen in 1994.I can't remember 
    which year it was.

    Robert Garcia: Oh,I don't remember.Maybe some Disney albums.

    - everyone laughs -

    FRK: Has there been a record that really smashed you guys,which was released this year?

    Tommy Decker: Chimaira!

    FRK: If you could change one thing about music industry,what would it be?

    Tommy Decker: Just one thing?...Well,what I don't like about it is that there's a cooperation 
    behind you that is responsible for your music.You sell a record for 19 Dollars; the band gets 
    1 Dollar from that,which goes back to pay the record company out.There's a lot of money 
    being generated,that is not going to the consumer nor the band.It's just making the cooperation 
    little more rich.That's kind of unfortunate.And the whole "downloading" now forced the record
    companies to start with these stupid "Advanced CDs".It's just too bad that people are able
    to download the music, 'cause nobody feels any kind of responsibility to go out and actually 
    buy the music from the band.Now we have come to a point where bands can't get money for 
    tour,because record companies are afraid that the record is not gonna sell, 'cause people are 
    downloading.It's like a vicious circle that keeps going.It's kinda killin' the buisness.
 

FRK: So,if you had the chance      to do all the stuff yourselves,      would you do it?     Tommy Decker: We would,but      it's a lot of work.There are a      couple of points where the music     would start to suffer.It's sort of      a necessary evil.Even record      companies have people in Art      Department,Promotion,ANR,     all these different departments.      So...if you try to do everything      yourself,with 4 or 5 people in      the band,it will kill you.You      wouldn't have time to tour      or write music.

    FRK: So,if you had the chance to do all the stuff yourselves, would you do it?

    Tommy Decker: We would,but it's a lot of work.There are a couple of points where the music
    would start to suffer.It's sort of a necessary evil.Even record companies have people in Art 
    Department,Promotion,ANR,all these different departments.So...if you try to do everything 
    yourself,with 4 or 5 people in the band,it will kill you.You wouldn't have time to tour 
    or write music.

    FRK: Do you earn enough money from making music?

    Tommy Decker: Well,to be honest,Roadrunner has been really good to us.They really believed
    in us; they helped us out.We haven't had "real" jobs in the meanwhile.So,it's been alright.

    FRK: What's your worst groupie experience to date?

    Robert Garcia: There's a lot of gossip,for example in the internet.People talking shit.

    Tommy Decker: Yeah,we try to stay away from that.Because you have so many people out 
    there,and it's like: whether it's true or not; even if it's not true,they could just say things, just 
    have a joke; and a lot of people do that.So it's better to just stay away.

    FRK: What is life like on tourbus? And what happens when someone takes a shit?

    Tommy Decker: You don't take a shit on a tourbus.You know, it's fun, it's awesome.Right now
    we have 15 people in one bus.So you got 30 smelly feet,15 smelly assholes,15 mouths with bad
    breath.You got your little bunk,and it's always hot; but it's fun.You got your friends around, you
    can drink and you hang out.You're actually travelling the world to play music.You know, it has
    it's good point and it's bad point.But all in all it's an adventure.

    FRK: We got a section in our magazine called "Crimes in the past" where we ask musicians 
    about their criminal history.Could you tell us some funny stuff when you were younger?

    Tommy Decker: OK.I was working in a job,in a music store.Pantera was coming to town.
    My brother, Jonny,our singer, my old guitar player...I bought us all tickets to see Pantera three
    days in a row, for about 300 or 400 Dollars.Then I got fired from my job.So we go to the 
    Pantera show, and I get in the pit. You know,somebody has stolen my shoe.And I had no 
    money to buy any more shoes, 'cause I just bought tickets for Pantera.So, we left and wanted 
    to see the show the next night.But Jonny got a great idea.We pull up to a shoe store,he runs
    in,fucking grab some shoes and runs out.Then we were running around...suddenly we saw a 
    car following us.It was an undercover cop,but we didn't know.And then,a road block ahead. 
    Police! We spend the week in the jail for the great shoe capture.

    FRK: What about you?

    Robert Garcia: I've never been arrested.

    FRK: Do you play on the festivals here? I mean...Rock am Ring,Rock im Park.

    Tommy Decker: No,we had to cancel the tour.

    FRK: Why?

    Tommy Decker: Our guitar player has really severe family problems right now.He had to go 
    home.We just came here to finish,to do the press,kinda enjoy maybe a day of.

    FRK: Are there any plans for the future?

    Robert Garcia: We just keep touring.

    Tommy Decker: We hope gonna come back here in Octobre, maybe. Possible,not sure. 
    We've not been here since '98 or '99, so it's definitely time to come out here and have shows.

    FRK: When is the album released in the USA?

    Tommy Decker: July, the 15th.

    FRK: Thanks for the interview! 

    text: frankie, marc