As a hardcore fan, I was extremely saddened to learn that you had put RAZOR to rest back in '92, especially at a time where so many metal bands were turning their backs on the genre. what was it that made you decide to bring RAZOR back? Bob Reid wanted me to record another CD and basically badgered me relentlessly to do it.
Is RAZOR back full force as a band or is Decibels a one-shot deal?
The jury is out on that one. I will wait and see how the CD sells. I haven't the time to be a full-time musician anymore as I have another career which I must say pays much better than what I made with Razor.
If I may ask, what is it you are doing?
I am working as an automotive engineer and travelling extensively throughout North America.
Why did your brother, Adam, leave the band?
Believe it or not, I replaced him.
What led to you making that decision? Was there any bad blood as a result?
That decision was made because Adam became increasingly demanding within the band and I could no longer work with him under those circumstances. He was frustrated at that time and wanted to see the band achieve greater recognition. There is absolutely no bad blood as a result of his departure and he has achieved some moderate success in working as a studio musician (hired gun) in some very up and coming bands. Currently he is working with a band called BTK (Birth Through Knowledge), a very popular rap/funk band in Canada. I hope he gets rich so I can freeload off him.
Why no "Message From Dave" this time out?
I never intended each CD I released to be a forum for my opinions. I had some things to say back in the late 80's and I said them. I really have no message that I want to put on the CD's today.
If you WERE to write one, say, at this moment... what might you say?
It would probably say that I really appreciate everyone who took the time to write the band and express their love for Razor. It also might say that believe it or not, I expected that some people would carry a torch for Razor long after we broke up because the band's sound and attitude were unlike any other band's. Finally, I would say that the Decibels album is not supposed to change the world, but merely be an entertainment experience for those of us who like intense music. No need to overanalyze it.
RAZOR is a band that really broke the barriers of thrash and metal... heavier and more extreme than most of your peers throughout the band's career, increasingly so on each release. Had you written any material after the release of Open Hostility and before the reformation? If so, what was it like? Did you actually manage to get heavier and faster?
Any material I developed following Open Hostility was worked into Decibels in one way or another.
The material on Decibels, although certainly EXTREMELY heavy, is not as fast as older Razor material. Was this a conscious decision of has your writing simply changed?
The slight decrease in pace on Decibels was completely intentional. I have come to believe that playing as fast as I can (and I can definitely play faster if I like) doesn't necessarily add to the heaviness of a song. I love the pace of the material on Decibels. The pace is somewhere between
the fastest songs on Slayer's Hell Awaits and Reign In Blood albums.
Bob Reid took a very different vocal approach to RAZOR, much more raw than Stace and in my opinion, much more intense. There seems to be a backlash among hardcore Razor fans, a purist attitude that Stace is the only man for the job. What do you feel Bob brings to RAZOR that Stace did not?
Well I'm not aware of any "backlash" against Bob. It would hardly be reasonable since without Bob, there wouldn't have even been a Decibels CD because I can assure you that I did not have the motivation to do it on my own. The most important thing Bob brought to Razor that Stace did not (at the end of Stace's tenure anyway) was enthusiam and lack of ego. It never ceases to amaze me how some people just hate to accept change. I made some classic recordings with Stace, but Bob has done nothing except provide great heavy vocals for each Razor album he's worked on. He's like Rodney Dangerfield in the sense that he doesn't get any respect at all. He deserves better.
Give me your raw opinion on the following:
METALLICA
In general they aren't my cup of tea and haven't been since Ride The Lightning, but with superb productions (and a budget to guarantee it), even lame pedestrian riffs sound incredible. Don't they? I do respect their success however and they do play an occasional song that doesn't stink ("Enter Sandman" comes to mind). I'd like to see them make a record with Razor's budget and see what it sounds like.
SLAYER
I loved Divine Intervention. Undisputed Attitude disappointed virtually everyone because there are no Slayer songs on it. There are some good songs however. I'm still into them.
FRANK ZAPPA
A very intelligent man who represented the anti-censorship movement with passion . A talented musician although I was not overly interested in most of his music.
MANOWAR
Do they still exist? They wrote an occasional good song. The only Manowar song I really loved was "All Men Play On 10".
What have you been listening to nowadays? Any metal releases that came out over the 5 year hiatus that impressed you?
As stated before, I loved Divine Intervention by Slayer. I really haven't kept up with the scene and I rely on friends' recommendations to decide what to listen to. I like Sepultura though I'm sure it doesn't surprise you.
Have you heard the HYPOCRISY cover of "Evil Invaders?" If so, what do you think?
I've never heard it but I've been told it is very good.
What is the one album in your collection that a diehard RAZOR fan might be shocked to know that you actually own?
Good question. Probably Steppin' Out by the Braxton Brothers (Smooth Jazz).
Any plans for a US tour in support of Decibels?
Well we aren't even getting a domestic release in the US for this CD so I doubt we'll be touring in the USA. Too bad because I love America.
What is your favorite RAZOR album and why?
My favorite album is probably Violent Restitution, because it was offered to the world as proof that I could churn out a heavy album at will if I wanted. I remember all the criticisms that flew after the release of Custom Killing. The one criticism that bugged me the most was the comment that I had lost my ability to write heavy songs. Violent Restitution (which was recorded only 7 months after Custom Killing) was my response to that belief.
Violent Resitution was, to my knowledge, the only album to see a domestic release in the US (via Steamhammer &Roadrunner/Roadracer/RC). Had you signed a one album deal with the label or was there a split for other reasons?
This was a licensing agreement which Fringe (our Canadian licensee at the time) negotiated with Steamhammer/Roadracer.
Roadracer did not want to release Shotgun Justice as they felt that Violent Restitution did not sell well enough in the USA to justify it. They were offered the opportunity but declined.
You traditionally have written the lyrics for RAZOR. Why did you opt to turn the duty over to Bob on Decibels?
Well I didn't write the early Razor lyrics. I only took over the brunt of the lyric writing after the first personnel changes (following Custom Killing). I never expected to be the main lyricist for the band but at the time I wanted complete control over my destiny, which meant that if I was to go down, it would be on my own terms.
What is your opinion of SFH (the band that the other members of Razor are a part of)?
I like most of their music. SFH used to open for Razor on the Violent Restitution tour in 1988, so that's where I first heard Bob's vocals. I even produced their first CD.
Is there one show or point in the band's career that you feel was the pinnacle of RAZOR, where you felt the most elation you ever had as a result of the band? The song "Violence Condoned" (which details a RAZOR gig where the band got ripped off and didn't play and the fans trashed the club, for the uninitiated reader) comes to mind and inspired this question... was that based on an actual incident? If so, where did it occur? I would imagine that, if so, that would be a hell of a feeling to have fans react that way to the band not playing!
The pinnacle of our career came very early for me. It would be October 1984 when we played our first show in Toronto in support of Slayer. The bar we played (Larry's Hideaway - now gone) was packed with over 1000 people (legal capacity was only 800). We appeared on stage to a unanimous chant of "Razor..Razor.." At that moment I was sure that before I was 25 I was going to be a rich man! (I was 20 at the time) However, in spite of continuing successes over the next 2 years, we never did get where I wanted to be. As far as the incident that inspired the song "Violence Condoned:" The year was 1988 and the city was Thunder Bay (Ontario Canada). It definitely happened. Razor has always had an extremely loyal following in Canada and our fans felt absolutely gyped by that experience. On the way back across Canada on our 1988 tour, we scheduled a return date for Thunder Bay at a different club and we played for the people who were scammed one month earlier.
Any final words for RAZOR fans, new and old?
Thanks for your interest in the band. Drop me a line via the internet to let me know what you think of the new CD.
Contact Dave Carlo via email.
Be sure to check out the awesome Official RAZOR Web Site!