METAL PULP AND PAPER
METAL PULP AND PAPER INTERVIEW
David Davidson From Revocation
Metal Pulp And Paper: In 2006 the band’s name was changed from Cryptic Warning to Revocation. You commented awhile back, "I think, looking a little deeper into it, we made a lot of mistakes with Cryptic Warning. We were younger and didn't really know what we were doing, so Revocation was us starting fresh with a clean slate and revoking our past mistakes.” Now 10 years later, are you satisfied with how things have come along so far?
David Davidson: Definitely, we made some real strides as a band over this past decade. We’ve toured all around the world, released 6 albums and an E.P. and made so many incredible friends and fans along the way.
MPAP: With only a couple lineup changes in Revocations history, most recently with Phil Dubois-Coyne leaving on drums, and Ash Pearson stepping in, do you think Revocation is now at its best?
DD: Yeah I would say so. We’re really firing on all cylinders right now, everyone is super stoked for the release and ready to hit the road to support the album.
MPAP: Ash Pearson, former drummer of 3 Inches Of Blood, what does he help bring to the table that might have been missing before?
DD: Ash is really diverse but also plays with a lot of power behind the kit. He can blast and thrash with the best of ‘em but he also is really dynamic. He grew up listening to not only extreme metal but also a lot of Rush and Frank Zappa so you can here those different fusion elements in his playing which brings a lot of interesting details to our sound.
MPAP: If you could bump into Cryptic Warning’s Sanity's Aberration producer, would you give him a copy of Great Is Our Sin and would you say anything to him?
DD: Haha sure, he’s not a big metal fan but he’d probably be interested in checking it out. I’d probably say, “We’ve come a long way since the CW days, if you’re in the mood for something a little heavier than ‘The Cure’ try this on for size.”
MPAP: Great Is Our Sin will be Revocation’s 6th studio release, the 2nd one being released by Metal Blade Records again. What makes this one different from Deathless or any of the others?
DD: I think it’s our most dynamic and diverse records to date. There’s a lot of variation in tempo and groove on this one, we really wanted to introduce some different textures that we haven’t incorporated before but still keep it heavy. Everyone took risks on this record which I think is really interesting and every instrument shines in it’s on way, bringing fresh ideas to our sound. Speaking as a vocalist I’ve definitely tried things on the newest record that I haven’t experimented with before and I think it’s had some really cool results. I’m particularly proud of the bridge section on “Profanum Vulgus” I think the vocals there add a really cool atmosphere and fit well with the vibe that the rhythm section is laying down.
MPAP: What was it like having Marty Friedman guitar solo on "The Exaltation”?
DD: It was a dream come true for me. We had collaborated together on a song entitled “Sociopaths” off of his solo record Inferno. I had a blast working with him on his album and wanted to have him guest on ours. I remember when he sent over the solo when we were in the middle of recording the album. Zeuss and I looked at each other in awe, it was a surreal moment and we probably replayed it about 5 times in a row just to soak it all in.
MPAP: What’s one thing you hope the listeners take away from hearing Great Is Our Sin?
DD: I hope they take away is that Revocation is continuing to evolve with every release. We have established our sound but we’re still unpredictable in many ways, I like to keep our listeners on their toes because the element of surprise is what keeps me coming back as a fan of music.
MPAP: After the July 22nd release, what’s next for Revocation? What can the fans expect?
DD: We’ll be hitting the road on Summer Slaughter for the rest of July and most of August. A little over a month later we head back out on tour with Obscura, Beyond Creation and Rivers Of Nihil in Europe which should be really fun. I think we’re also planning on doing a headline run at some point before the year ends as well so stay tuned for more info regarding that, we definitely will be touring our asses off for this release that’s for sure.
MPAP: It’s been a few years since any Revocation videos were made, “Fracked” being the last one directed by Madeline Quinn. Anything in the works coming up?
DD: Yeah we recently filmed a video with David Brodsky and the MyGoodEye team in Pennsylvania which came out really cool. It’ll be for the opening track “Arbiters Of The Apocalypse” and should be right before the new album drops so keep your eyes peeled for that one!
David Davidson: Definitely, we made some real strides as a band over this past decade. We’ve toured all around the world, released 6 albums and an E.P. and made so many incredible friends and fans along the way.
MPAP: With only a couple lineup changes in Revocations history, most recently with Phil Dubois-Coyne leaving on drums, and Ash Pearson stepping in, do you think Revocation is now at its best?
DD: Yeah I would say so. We’re really firing on all cylinders right now, everyone is super stoked for the release and ready to hit the road to support the album.
MPAP: Ash Pearson, former drummer of 3 Inches Of Blood, what does he help bring to the table that might have been missing before?
DD: Ash is really diverse but also plays with a lot of power behind the kit. He can blast and thrash with the best of ‘em but he also is really dynamic. He grew up listening to not only extreme metal but also a lot of Rush and Frank Zappa so you can here those different fusion elements in his playing which brings a lot of interesting details to our sound.
MPAP: If you could bump into Cryptic Warning’s Sanity's Aberration producer, would you give him a copy of Great Is Our Sin and would you say anything to him?
DD: Haha sure, he’s not a big metal fan but he’d probably be interested in checking it out. I’d probably say, “We’ve come a long way since the CW days, if you’re in the mood for something a little heavier than ‘The Cure’ try this on for size.”
MPAP: Great Is Our Sin will be Revocation’s 6th studio release, the 2nd one being released by Metal Blade Records again. What makes this one different from Deathless or any of the others?
DD: I think it’s our most dynamic and diverse records to date. There’s a lot of variation in tempo and groove on this one, we really wanted to introduce some different textures that we haven’t incorporated before but still keep it heavy. Everyone took risks on this record which I think is really interesting and every instrument shines in it’s on way, bringing fresh ideas to our sound. Speaking as a vocalist I’ve definitely tried things on the newest record that I haven’t experimented with before and I think it’s had some really cool results. I’m particularly proud of the bridge section on “Profanum Vulgus” I think the vocals there add a really cool atmosphere and fit well with the vibe that the rhythm section is laying down.
MPAP: What was it like having Marty Friedman guitar solo on "The Exaltation”?
DD: It was a dream come true for me. We had collaborated together on a song entitled “Sociopaths” off of his solo record Inferno. I had a blast working with him on his album and wanted to have him guest on ours. I remember when he sent over the solo when we were in the middle of recording the album. Zeuss and I looked at each other in awe, it was a surreal moment and we probably replayed it about 5 times in a row just to soak it all in.
MPAP: What’s one thing you hope the listeners take away from hearing Great Is Our Sin?
DD: I hope they take away is that Revocation is continuing to evolve with every release. We have established our sound but we’re still unpredictable in many ways, I like to keep our listeners on their toes because the element of surprise is what keeps me coming back as a fan of music.
MPAP: After the July 22nd release, what’s next for Revocation? What can the fans expect?
DD: We’ll be hitting the road on Summer Slaughter for the rest of July and most of August. A little over a month later we head back out on tour with Obscura, Beyond Creation and Rivers Of Nihil in Europe which should be really fun. I think we’re also planning on doing a headline run at some point before the year ends as well so stay tuned for more info regarding that, we definitely will be touring our asses off for this release that’s for sure.
MPAP: It’s been a few years since any Revocation videos were made, “Fracked” being the last one directed by Madeline Quinn. Anything in the works coming up?
DD: Yeah we recently filmed a video with David Brodsky and the MyGoodEye team in Pennsylvania which came out really cool. It’ll be for the opening track “Arbiters Of The Apocalypse” and should be right before the new album drops so keep your eyes peeled for that one!
Catch Revocation on The Summer Slaughter Tour
Special Thanks to Kyle Gaddo
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