METAL PULP AND PAPER: Hello Steve. So glad to be catching up with you again. Always a pleasure. Thank you for taking the time to speak with us here at Metal Pulp And Paper. We appriciate it.
STEVE BROY: Thanks.
MPAP: Now give us a little run down about your band The Mentors and what we need to know, and especially tell us if you have any new music coming out soon.
STEVE: My band The Mentors is going on a US tour in October 2019. This year I put out a solo album, Dr. Heathen Scum of the Mentors Heavy Rock in both x rated vocals version, and instrumental version. I am working next to release El Duce- 1985 which is super good.
MPAP: That's great to hear. Looking forward to the El Duce release. So, we’re going to change up this interview and do something different. I’m going to pull some recent headlines from the Metal Injection website and get your reactions and comments on them. Here we go:
1. Celtic Frost Frontman Wishes Metallica Had Left 'Their Millionaire Fingers' Off His Song
MPAP: So, at a recent Metallica show in Switzerland, Kirk and Rob played one of Celtic Frost’s song "The Usurper" during a break in the show. According to Tom Warrior, vocalist for Celtic Frost, the two of them butchered it. He said, 'Maybe I should go onstage and do a really miserable version of [Metallica’s] "Hit the Lights" with, like, 200 mistakes to set the balance.' What do you think about this? If someone was going to cover one of your songs, do you think it should be done in good taste and without any mistakes, or it’s Metallica, and they can do whatever they want, it's no big deal?
STEVE: They can do what they want. Even if I thought it was crappy, I would say it was good. I’ve heard of Celtic Frost, but never listened to them, it seems a little strange to complain about it. Plus, I thought the CF guy died, no?
2. A Fan Died In The Slipknot Mosh Pit This Weekend
MPAP: Very sad. So, apparently, a 62-year-old Slipknot fan died while in the mosh pit at a Chicago show. Corey Taylor had recently stopped a previous show because he saw the mosh pit was getting too violent. Accidents do happen, but do you think mosh pits at metal shows are becoming more dangerous?
STEVE: They always were dangerous. A bunch of dummies running around at top speed, and then getting clotheslined by a skinhead Nazi is not fun. We used to call these things sambo circles.
3. Slayer Pulled As Primary Sponsor Of NASCAR Due To Complaints From Other Sponsors
MPAP: Really? C’mon., it’s just a band. It’s not like Satan himself will be driving the car, right?
STEVE: NASCAR sucks anyway. Super boring. Slayer got off easy, now they don’t have to pay any money.
4. Maynard Got Death Threats Over How Long The Tool Album Took
MPAP: Talk about some diehard fans. I think that is going a bit too far, even if you’ve been waiting 13 years, right?
STEVE: Never listened to them, probably not something I'd like, but I understand the frustration. Van Halen should be making one also. Trump should force them to make new LP.
5. Controversial Video Shows Rob Zombie Grabbing A Female Fan By The Hair After Being Groped
MPAP: His shirt was pulled, but, nevertheless. I guess during a show Rob went out into the crowd, and an enthusastic fan reached out and pulled on his shirt. After this headline was posted, quite a few bands like Shinedown, All That Remains, and Bad Wolves defended Rob’s actions. What are your thoughts, do fans need to keep their hands to themselves?
STEVE: If you leave the stage, you are fair game. On stage you have to assume they are there to kill you. I myself have occasionally restrained an irate chick.
6. Behemoth Frontman Confronted At YMCA For Wearing Darkthrone Shirt & Kicked Out Not Believing In Jesus
MPAP: It was just a shirt, and he was going there to workout. It wasn’t like he was going to sacrifice some virgins and spill blood everywhere. What do you think?
STEVE: It’s the YMCA, young men’s Christian ass. He should not go there.
7. Former Weedeater Drummer Arrested For Allegedly Spiking Wife’s Drink With Meth
MPAP: Umm, this doesn’t look like they have a very good marriage going on for this to have happened. Do you think they need some marriage counseling or what?
STEVE: If he did it, he should be executed by the government.
8. Walmart Shoppers Call The Cops On Metal Band for… Sitting In A Van Parking Lot
MPAP: This happened right after the tragic Dayton, Ohio shooting where ten people were killed, including the shooter, and 27 others were injured. The gunman just happened to be a metalhead because he was wearing a The Acacia Strain hoodie. It’s good that people report things, but this could turn out that every traveling metal band that’s parked in a Walmart parking lot are going to get reported now. What do you think?
STEVE: Better safe than sorry.
9. People Are Going Wild For This Rant Tommy Lee Shared Against Donald Trump
MPAP: The rant/tweet is quite a bit long, so I'm not going to torture you to read it, but I will say this: should musicians talk or write about politics? In a way, it’s like their forcing their beliefs down our throats. What are your thoughts?
STEVE: I hate Trump also.
10. James Hetfield Calls Woman Who Used Metallica’s Music To Fend Off Cougar
MPAP: A young lady, was out walking her dog when off in the distance a cougar began to stalk her. She eventually played a Metallica song on her phone to scare it away, and it worked. She definitely had luck and the power of music on her side, right? What song of yours do you think would scare off a hungry cougar?
STEVE: Personally, I can’t rely on playing music to stop a cougar. Metallica's music was also used for other military reasons. Good for them.
11. While She Sleeps Release Free T-Shirt Design To Clue Fans Into How Much Streaming Doesn’t Pay
MPAP: This is what the design said: One T-shirt is the equivalent to 5000 streams on Spotify. 76% of all music is streamed and not bought physically or digitally. Band merchandise is the most direct way of supporting a band. Sadly, buying music isn’t the same anymore. Back in the day, it used to be fun to buy an actual album or CD, don’t you think?
STEVE: Well there are drawbacks to digital, but there are advantages also. You can’t stop progress.
12. David Hasselhoff Teams Up With Ministry Frontman For "Sweet Caroline" Cover
MPAP: All I can say is, this should be interesting. Hopefully, it’s not a train wreck for David. Worth a listen to when it comes out though. What do you think of this collaboration?
STEVE: Sounds promising.
MPAP: And what tv/movie actor would you like to cover a song with someday?
STEVE: Trump/Depp.
MPAP: On behalf of Metal Pulp And Paper, I’d like to thank you, Steve, for taking the time to answer these music headline questions. We look forward to what The Mentors does to finish out 2019 and beyond.
MPAP: Any last words for all your fans out there?
STEVE: Check out my new cd called Dr. Heathen Scum of the Mentors Heavy Rock, and we will see u on the road this October 2019.
