METAL PULP AND PAPER: Hello John. So glad to be catching up with you. Thank you for taking the time to speak with us here at Metal Pulp And Paper. We appreciate it. Now give us a little run down about your band and what we need to know, and especially tell us if you have any new music coming out or any tour announcements you can share here?
JOHN 'GAGE' SIFUENTES: Unto The Wolves is a Hard Rock/ Metal project with one goal in mind, to inspire tolerance and acceptance of all races, religious beliefs, and cultures. Every song is inspired by a different culture, religion, or location. The songs are not based on these things, but rather served as inspiration for the ideas behind the songs. The music is riddled with driving rhythmic guitars, a gritty bass, hard-hitting drums accompanied by melodic but aggressive vocals. However, you'll also find an additional instrument or two in multiple songs based on what religious text or culture was chosen for the subject matter. In an effort to combine these ideas into a single project in a respectful manner, each set of writings is examined from multiple points of view. The project truly offers a unique perspective on how music can be inspired by the way people choose to live. These songs are created on a monthly basis exclusively for the subscribers of the music projects Patreon page. At the end of a full year of content, the years’ worth of work is combined into a single album and released to the public. The project has already released two albums simply called Year One and Year Two, available now at all digital retailers. Unto The Wolves is already in the process of the Creation of Year Three and the patrons of Patreon get access to it as its created. Find out more at www.patreon.com/untothewolves.
MPAP: So, for anyone new to this, we changed things up and are doing something different. We've pulled some recent headlines from the Metal Injection website and get reactions and comments on them from bands all over the world. We did this last month, with different headlines, of course, and it was fun to read each group's different answers. So, please place your seat backs and tray tables in the upright position, and hang on, here we go again.
1. Granny Caught Rocking Out To Slipknot
MPAP: At a recent Knotfest show an elderly woman, even with her cane in hand, is caught on video rocking out to Slipknot. The story doesn’t mention her age, but I would say she’s in the prime of at least her 70s. What do you think of granny rocking out to Slipknot?
JOHN: Awesome! It always brings a smile to my face when I see folks in their prime throwing down at a show. It truly shows age is all in the mind.
2. Metal Guitarist Too Young To Play Bar Plays Outside With Wireless System Instead
MPAP: The band Ancient Burials had a bit of a dilemma when they played a show at the Hawthorne Theatre in Portland, Oregon. Their guitarist was underage and not allowed into the bar to play. Some places will mark your hand with an 'X' identifying you’re a minor and let you play. Not the Hawthorne Theatre with Oregon’s liquor laws. So, instead of them canceling the show, fellow bandmates Paradigm Shift hooked him up with a wireless pack, and he went outside and played. The bar had an open window so you could see the band playing inside and he was outside shredding it out on the street. It’s a great video to watch.
JOHN: Outstanding! I’ve seen this happen to a few solid bands, running into a problem with the age of a single member. It’s rough when that happens. I’m stoked to hear Ancient Burials didn’t let the scenario stop them from giving a good show. Nice job!
3. Comedian Gilbert Gottfried Reveals Himself As Slipknot’s Tortilla Man
MPAP: Obviously, someone brilliant out there got him to announce that, probably on one of those Celebrity Cameos or something. In all seriousness, does it even matter who Tortilla Man is? And why do you think Slipknot is so strict on revealing who new band members are? They had this previous issue when Paul Gray passed away and was replaced by Alessandro Venturella, and also when Jay Weinberg replaced Joey Jordison.
JOHN: Does it matter who tortilla man is, I don’t think so. As long as the band works well as a unit, which they do, then it’s all good. I think Slipknot is cautious about mentioning new members are in the fold because of the reaction of fans from previous changes to the lineup. It’s smart to ease people into new members, that way there isn’t as much 'will he be able to fill the shoes' mentality. By the time people realize their new members, they have already proven themselves.
4. These Post Malone Fans Are Just Hearing About Ozzy For The First Time Thanks To New Collaboration
MPAP: Recently Post Malone recorded a song called "Take What You Want," and it featured Ozzy Osbourne. Honestly, it’s not a lousy collaboration between the two. Wasn’t expecting it to be a good song. Anyways, what gets me is some people, mainly his fans were saying thanks to Post Malone he just gave this Ozzy guy a career. They obviously have no idea! Even back in 2015, it was almost the same thing, Kayne West did a song with Paul McCartney, and Kayne’s fans were saying Kayne just gave Paul a career in the music business. Really c’mon? So, my question is, should the history of music be taught in school or something? Shouldn’t the younger generation know who Ozzy Osbourne and Paul McCartney are?
JOHN: Absolutely not! If this were taught, the curriculum would be dictated either by the school district or the teacher. Both of which would be a narrow view no doubt, with exception to unique and isolated cases. If the real question is how do we educate the naive to their music heritage, the answer is exactly how they are learning it now. The splicing of music, movies immortalizing artists, parents passing down their favorites. The thing is, the music has to be discovered and felt for it to be appreciated. That won’t happen unless the one hearing it is willing to listen.
5. Sabaton Involved In 'Serious Traffic Accident' In Tunisia, Cancel Tonight’s Show
MPAP: Luckily everyone is ok now, but do you have any scary tour bus accident stories that you can share with us? Or, if no accidents, any close calls where you thought you might die?
JOHN: Quite a while ago, a couple friends of mine and I went for a drive from Montana to Tacoma, Washington to see Lamb Of God and Slipknot. The Tacoma Dome was crazy that night for sure. On our way back, we were traveling through the pass when the vehicle began to lose traction due to the icy roads. We went into a full spin. The driver let go of the wheel which was the best move. The SUV came to a stop after a full 360. All three of us were in shock. We pulled over and appropriately flipped out. That was a hell of a moment.
6. Slipknot’s Jay Weinberg: The Effects of Climate Change Are Undeniable
MPAP: Some say there is no such thing as climate change, or some say it is getting better. Both sides of the party point fingers at each other. Even back in February of this year, Ocasio-Cortez, the 29-year-old democratic socialist, wanted us to get to the point of where air travel would stop becoming necessary, and believes farting cows are responsible for the climate change and we need to get rid of them. What are your thoughts on climate change?
JOHN: Climate change is real. For the kind of 'change' necessary to make even a dent in that issue, we would need worldwide cooperation, and I just don’t think that’s going to happen.
7. Nicole Kidman Attended An Iron Maiden Show with Her Husband, Keith Urban
MPAP: Never would have expected that couple to be into Iron Maiden, but still cool either way. It’s good to know that music can reach anyone. So, have you ever had anyone famous that you know of attend one of your shows? If not, who would you like to leave a ticket for at will call to come to your next show?
JOHN: Jim Carrey! It would be killer to see Jim Carry rocking out, let alone meeting the guy. Not because of his comedic persona, but rather because of his depth. You don’t accept the range of rolls he has unless you know the depth it takes to be in them.
8. Yellowstone Police Are Using AC/DC To Clear Bison Off The Road
MPAP: In our previous headlines feature Metallica was blasted to scare away a cougar, and now bison are being blasted by AC/DC. It makes you think, what animal is next, and then how long until the animal kingdom doesn’t put up with this anymore and revolts against humans?
JOHN: LMAO!... It already has begun. Just look at the numerous creatures and insects of South America.
9. Vinyl On Pace To Outsell CDs in 2019
MPAP: Buying albums seems to be the trendy hip thing it looks like again. Since streaming services are the popular norm, it’s good that records are making a comeback, but sad in a way, because CDs will become extinct.
JOHN: I 100% agree.
10. Dude Who Tried To Swim Back Into Slayer Show After Being Ejected Immortalized on Beer Can
MPAP: The guy that tried to swim back into a Slayer show is from 2018, but him being immortalized on a beer can is new. This is a two-part question. Which beer can would you like your face on, and while out on tour, what is the craziest thing a fan has done that you have seen?
JOHN: Lol… I’d prefer not to have my face of any beverage but if I had to choose, I’d rather it be on a bottle of Jager. The craziest thing I’ve seen is a crowd surfer taking a faceplant into the ground. He ended up ok, but he was knocked out for a few minutes so the crowd had to surf him out unconscious.
11. Former Five Finger Death Punch Drummer’s New Gig: A Horror Porn Anthology Series
MPAP: Yep, you read it right, former Five Finger Death Punch drummer’s new gig is in the porn business. Not only is Jeremy Spencer a part-time cop in Indiana now, but now he writes, directs, and even stars in his pornos. Crazy. So, my question is, what is your dream job if you weren’t performing in a band? If you had to hang things up in the music business, what would you rather be doing?
JOHN: Music is my dream job.
12. Flaw Accused of Plagiarizing You Tuber’s Song, Vocalist Said He Had No Idea
MPAP: This isn’t really a question about that headline, but it made me think and want to ask, is there one song out there that some band has recorded, and it’s so good that you wish you could claim it as your own song?
JOHN: "Dogs Of War" by Pink Floyd.
13. Metallica Named 'World’s Biggest Touring Act' According to New Study
MPAP: Even though they’ve released a few records that some fans can’t stand, that still hasn’t stopped them by selling over 22 million tickets and grossed $1.4 billion in touring since 1982. That’s very impressive. So, I guess the question would be, lets rain on their parade for a moment, what’s your least favorite Metallica song that you must turn off or turn down when it’s on the radio? And by no means, this is no disrespect to Metallica at all. I think they are man enough to handle hearing which songs or albums are not fan favorites. It's just for fun and games, until we shot our eye out.
JOHN: "St Anger."
MPAP: On behalf of Metal Pulp And Paper, I’d like to thank you, John, for taking the time to answer these questions. We look forward to what Unto The Wolves does to finish out 2019 and beyond. Any last words for all your fans out there?
JOHN: Thank you for reading.
Unto The Wolves/ September 25th, 2019/ Headlines #16
JOHN 'GAGE' SIFUENTES: Unto The Wolves is a Hard Rock/ Metal project with one goal in mind, to inspire tolerance and acceptance of all races, religious beliefs, and cultures. Every song is inspired by a different culture, religion, or location. The songs are not based on these things, but rather served as inspiration for the ideas behind the songs. The music is riddled with driving rhythmic guitars, a gritty bass, hard-hitting drums accompanied by melodic but aggressive vocals. However, you'll also find an additional instrument or two in multiple songs based on what religious text or culture was chosen for the subject matter. In an effort to combine these ideas into a single project in a respectful manner, each set of writings is examined from multiple points of view. The project truly offers a unique perspective on how music can be inspired by the way people choose to live. These songs are created on a monthly basis exclusively for the subscribers of the music projects Patreon page. At the end of a full year of content, the years’ worth of work is combined into a single album and released to the public. The project has already released two albums simply called Year One and Year Two, available now at all digital retailers. Unto The Wolves is already in the process of the Creation of Year Three and the patrons of Patreon get access to it as its created. Find out more at www.patreon.com/untothewolves.
MPAP: So, for anyone new to this, we changed things up and are doing something different. We've pulled some recent headlines from the Metal Injection website and get reactions and comments on them from bands all over the world. We did this last month, with different headlines, of course, and it was fun to read each group's different answers. So, please place your seat backs and tray tables in the upright position, and hang on, here we go again.
1. Granny Caught Rocking Out To Slipknot
MPAP: At a recent Knotfest show an elderly woman, even with her cane in hand, is caught on video rocking out to Slipknot. The story doesn’t mention her age, but I would say she’s in the prime of at least her 70s. What do you think of granny rocking out to Slipknot?
JOHN: Awesome! It always brings a smile to my face when I see folks in their prime throwing down at a show. It truly shows age is all in the mind.
2. Metal Guitarist Too Young To Play Bar Plays Outside With Wireless System Instead
MPAP: The band Ancient Burials had a bit of a dilemma when they played a show at the Hawthorne Theatre in Portland, Oregon. Their guitarist was underage and not allowed into the bar to play. Some places will mark your hand with an 'X' identifying you’re a minor and let you play. Not the Hawthorne Theatre with Oregon’s liquor laws. So, instead of them canceling the show, fellow bandmates Paradigm Shift hooked him up with a wireless pack, and he went outside and played. The bar had an open window so you could see the band playing inside and he was outside shredding it out on the street. It’s a great video to watch.
JOHN: Outstanding! I’ve seen this happen to a few solid bands, running into a problem with the age of a single member. It’s rough when that happens. I’m stoked to hear Ancient Burials didn’t let the scenario stop them from giving a good show. Nice job!
3. Comedian Gilbert Gottfried Reveals Himself As Slipknot’s Tortilla Man
MPAP: Obviously, someone brilliant out there got him to announce that, probably on one of those Celebrity Cameos or something. In all seriousness, does it even matter who Tortilla Man is? And why do you think Slipknot is so strict on revealing who new band members are? They had this previous issue when Paul Gray passed away and was replaced by Alessandro Venturella, and also when Jay Weinberg replaced Joey Jordison.
JOHN: Does it matter who tortilla man is, I don’t think so. As long as the band works well as a unit, which they do, then it’s all good. I think Slipknot is cautious about mentioning new members are in the fold because of the reaction of fans from previous changes to the lineup. It’s smart to ease people into new members, that way there isn’t as much 'will he be able to fill the shoes' mentality. By the time people realize their new members, they have already proven themselves.
4. These Post Malone Fans Are Just Hearing About Ozzy For The First Time Thanks To New Collaboration
MPAP: Recently Post Malone recorded a song called "Take What You Want," and it featured Ozzy Osbourne. Honestly, it’s not a lousy collaboration between the two. Wasn’t expecting it to be a good song. Anyways, what gets me is some people, mainly his fans were saying thanks to Post Malone he just gave this Ozzy guy a career. They obviously have no idea! Even back in 2015, it was almost the same thing, Kayne West did a song with Paul McCartney, and Kayne’s fans were saying Kayne just gave Paul a career in the music business. Really c’mon? So, my question is, should the history of music be taught in school or something? Shouldn’t the younger generation know who Ozzy Osbourne and Paul McCartney are?
JOHN: Absolutely not! If this were taught, the curriculum would be dictated either by the school district or the teacher. Both of which would be a narrow view no doubt, with exception to unique and isolated cases. If the real question is how do we educate the naive to their music heritage, the answer is exactly how they are learning it now. The splicing of music, movies immortalizing artists, parents passing down their favorites. The thing is, the music has to be discovered and felt for it to be appreciated. That won’t happen unless the one hearing it is willing to listen.
5. Sabaton Involved In 'Serious Traffic Accident' In Tunisia, Cancel Tonight’s Show
MPAP: Luckily everyone is ok now, but do you have any scary tour bus accident stories that you can share with us? Or, if no accidents, any close calls where you thought you might die?
JOHN: Quite a while ago, a couple friends of mine and I went for a drive from Montana to Tacoma, Washington to see Lamb Of God and Slipknot. The Tacoma Dome was crazy that night for sure. On our way back, we were traveling through the pass when the vehicle began to lose traction due to the icy roads. We went into a full spin. The driver let go of the wheel which was the best move. The SUV came to a stop after a full 360. All three of us were in shock. We pulled over and appropriately flipped out. That was a hell of a moment.
6. Slipknot’s Jay Weinberg: The Effects of Climate Change Are Undeniable
MPAP: Some say there is no such thing as climate change, or some say it is getting better. Both sides of the party point fingers at each other. Even back in February of this year, Ocasio-Cortez, the 29-year-old democratic socialist, wanted us to get to the point of where air travel would stop becoming necessary, and believes farting cows are responsible for the climate change and we need to get rid of them. What are your thoughts on climate change?
JOHN: Climate change is real. For the kind of 'change' necessary to make even a dent in that issue, we would need worldwide cooperation, and I just don’t think that’s going to happen.
7. Nicole Kidman Attended An Iron Maiden Show with Her Husband, Keith Urban
MPAP: Never would have expected that couple to be into Iron Maiden, but still cool either way. It’s good to know that music can reach anyone. So, have you ever had anyone famous that you know of attend one of your shows? If not, who would you like to leave a ticket for at will call to come to your next show?
JOHN: Jim Carrey! It would be killer to see Jim Carry rocking out, let alone meeting the guy. Not because of his comedic persona, but rather because of his depth. You don’t accept the range of rolls he has unless you know the depth it takes to be in them.
8. Yellowstone Police Are Using AC/DC To Clear Bison Off The Road
MPAP: In our previous headlines feature Metallica was blasted to scare away a cougar, and now bison are being blasted by AC/DC. It makes you think, what animal is next, and then how long until the animal kingdom doesn’t put up with this anymore and revolts against humans?
JOHN: LMAO!... It already has begun. Just look at the numerous creatures and insects of South America.
9. Vinyl On Pace To Outsell CDs in 2019
MPAP: Buying albums seems to be the trendy hip thing it looks like again. Since streaming services are the popular norm, it’s good that records are making a comeback, but sad in a way, because CDs will become extinct.
JOHN: I 100% agree.
10. Dude Who Tried To Swim Back Into Slayer Show After Being Ejected Immortalized on Beer Can
MPAP: The guy that tried to swim back into a Slayer show is from 2018, but him being immortalized on a beer can is new. This is a two-part question. Which beer can would you like your face on, and while out on tour, what is the craziest thing a fan has done that you have seen?
JOHN: Lol… I’d prefer not to have my face of any beverage but if I had to choose, I’d rather it be on a bottle of Jager. The craziest thing I’ve seen is a crowd surfer taking a faceplant into the ground. He ended up ok, but he was knocked out for a few minutes so the crowd had to surf him out unconscious.
11. Former Five Finger Death Punch Drummer’s New Gig: A Horror Porn Anthology Series
MPAP: Yep, you read it right, former Five Finger Death Punch drummer’s new gig is in the porn business. Not only is Jeremy Spencer a part-time cop in Indiana now, but now he writes, directs, and even stars in his pornos. Crazy. So, my question is, what is your dream job if you weren’t performing in a band? If you had to hang things up in the music business, what would you rather be doing?
JOHN: Music is my dream job.
12. Flaw Accused of Plagiarizing You Tuber’s Song, Vocalist Said He Had No Idea
MPAP: This isn’t really a question about that headline, but it made me think and want to ask, is there one song out there that some band has recorded, and it’s so good that you wish you could claim it as your own song?
JOHN: "Dogs Of War" by Pink Floyd.
13. Metallica Named 'World’s Biggest Touring Act' According to New Study
MPAP: Even though they’ve released a few records that some fans can’t stand, that still hasn’t stopped them by selling over 22 million tickets and grossed $1.4 billion in touring since 1982. That’s very impressive. So, I guess the question would be, lets rain on their parade for a moment, what’s your least favorite Metallica song that you must turn off or turn down when it’s on the radio? And by no means, this is no disrespect to Metallica at all. I think they are man enough to handle hearing which songs or albums are not fan favorites. It's just for fun and games, until we shot our eye out.
JOHN: "St Anger."
MPAP: On behalf of Metal Pulp And Paper, I’d like to thank you, John, for taking the time to answer these questions. We look forward to what Unto The Wolves does to finish out 2019 and beyond. Any last words for all your fans out there?
JOHN: Thank you for reading.
Unto The Wolves/ September 25th, 2019/ Headlines #16