METAL PULP AND PAPER: Hello Nick. 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?
NICK WHITING: Hey, I’m Nick, lead guitarist for Walk With Kings. We are a Metal band from Wollongong, NSW; Australia. We tip our caps to the greats such as Pantera, Slayer, Sepultura, and Metallica whilst utilizing production and stylistic inspiration from everything in between and recent. Me (Lead Guitarist) and Paul Ross (Bass) teamed up with friend and producer Lee Sergeant (Rhythm Guitarist) to forge the origins of Walk With Kings. Using modern recording technology, we programmed drums to write and fill the void of having no drummer. We released our No Lights E.P recorded and produced all in house by Lee Sergeant with then singer Aaron Murphy. Aaron was unable to sustain his role in the band due to life commitments. WWK advertised for a Drummer and a Singer and after the usual arduous task of sifting through the tire kickers and delusional narcissists, we stumbled across Cale Storer (Drums) and Joel Jennings (Vocals). Cale also being a producer teamed up with Lee to record Walk With Kings first single as the new line up "The Long Shadow." With the foundations built by Paul, Lee mande, paired with Joel's impressive 'brutal to melodic' vocal abilities, and Cale's hard-hitting groove style of drumming, the next chapter of Walk With Kings was born. We are currently in the process of writing and recording an album or second EP. Due to the fact we do everything in house at our own pace it’s difficult to put a finish date on it, but it’s definitely coming, stay tuned.
MPAP: Very nice. 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?
NICK: Firstly, we’d be absolutely honored if another band wanted to cover one of our songs and how they interpret it is entirely up to them, so that’s just where we stand from that point of view. In regards to that particular cover, we all know who Metallica is and how far they reach in terms of their fan base, so although it wasn’t the greatest version of the track, I’m sure it’s been of benefit to Celtic Frost, even if only by making people that may not have heard the original go and check it out and in doing so become a fan. That being said, it’s never cool to hear a butchered version of a good song, so maybe Metallica could’ve put a bit more effort into doing it justice.
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 here in the United States. 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?
NICK: Anyone that’s entered a real mosh pit knows full well that there’s a risk of injury, but in general I think metal heads have a certain etiquette that they follow when it comes to pits and most people aren’t there to hurt anyone. Unfortunately, there’s always that guy that wants to take it to the next level and he’s usually dealt with fairly quickly in one way or another. Over the last probably 5-10 years there’s been a definite progression of more violent activity in the mosh pit at some of the heavier shows with people engaging in what I’ve come to know as 'crowd kill', but it’s not a popular thing to do and that kind of behavior is generally not encouraged by the venue or the bands. So, I’d say the mosh pit is still a relatively safe place to be if you know what you’re doing and are there to enjoy yourself.
3. Slayer Pulled As Primary Sponsor Of NASCAR Due To Complaints From Other Sponsors
MPAP: Really? C’mon., it’s just a band name. It’s not like Satan himself will be driving the car, right?
NICK: Ok, being from Australia we don’t really get into NASCAR, but most Aussies do enjoy motor racing and fast cars. I can’t really comment on why the governing body of NASCAR would have an issue with Slayer as a sponsor, but I don’t see a problem. The other sponsors clearly aren’t metal heads.
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?
NICK: Yeh, making death threats to the singer of the band you’re waiting on to release new music is never a great idea, hahaha. I can understand the frustration, but hey it was worth the wait, right? It’s Tool!
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?
NICK: Fans definitely need to remember that their idols/ heroes or whatever are human beings too, and act appropriately when interacting with them. We (Walk With Kings) are certainly nowhere near the level of Rob Zombie or any of the others, so we’ve never encountered that kind of experience, but we’d like to, hahaha.
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?
NICK: Hahaha, that’s a hilarious situation. Yeh, it’s just a shirt. Let the guy work out for God’s sake!
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?
NICK: Definitely not a great way to spice up your relationship, hahaha. They both probably need to sort out some issues if that’s the direction they’re taking. Marriage counselling is probably a good place to start.
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?
NICK: Yeh firstly, our condolences to the families of those killed and anyone involved. I guess it’s a good thing to be wary of suspicious behavior and shady looking characters, but unfortunately for most metal heads that makes them a target. Of course, we shouldn’t be judged or pigeonholed because of what we wear, but I can see the correlation between the offender and the metal guys in the parking lot and understand people’s reaction, especially being so soon after the tragic event. Hopefully it’s not a continued issue.
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?
NICK: Of course, bands/artists should be allowed to sing about politics and other world events, it’s been the topic of thousands of songs in the past both for and against various aspects and music has and always will be a major platform to voice opinions and raise awareness of global events. As for an artist having a personal opinion and using their status or public profile to rant or verbally bash someone or something, I think they need to be very careful about what they say and what impact it may have. It’s like any platform or source of information though, we are made aware of certain things through the media in many different forms but it’s up to the individual to research and develop their own opinions.
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?
NICK: Wow, what an amazing story. I’d like to think all of our songs have an element of fear in them but that’s open to interpretation. If I had to name one particular song it would be one of our earliest tracks called “Remnants/Outdone,” which has a guest vocal performance by our good friend Ben from a local band called Ten Years Too Late. Ben’s gut-wrenching vocals mixed with our brand of metal in that track is enough to scare anyone. Check our YouTube channel to see the amateur video we made, hahaha.
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?
NICK: Oh, I totally agree, although CDʼs are still available for most releases they just aren’t as popular anymore due to the way listening to music has gone these days. I can understand bands being concerned about it but it’s the way it is, embrace it and use it. It’s a great time and opportunity for unsigned bands to be able to share their music with the world in a way that was never possible and it’s not easy to stand out in the crowd but I think sometimes it’s better to embrace change than to try and fight it.
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 the Hoff. It's worth a listen to when it comes out though. What do you think of this collaboration?
NICK: That’s definitely not a collaboration I would’ve thought of but it’s an interesting concept, I will have to check it out.
MPAP: What tv/movie actor would you like to cover a song with someday?
NICK: If I had the opportunity to collaborate with someone on tv/movies it’d have to be Morgan Freeman. How cool would the intro be with a voice over by Morgan and narrative like vocals over a drop B tuned breakdown.
MPAP: On behalf of Metal Pulp And Paper, I’d like to thank you, Nick, for taking the time to answer these headline questions. We look forward to what Walk With Kings does to finish out 2019 and beyond. Any last words for all your fans out there?
NICK: Thanks so much for the opportunity to talk to you guys, it was a blast. All our music is available on the usual platforms and guest vocal tracks and videos are up on our YouTube channel. Follow Walk With Kings on Instagram and Spotify to keep up to date with our releases. Give us a like on Facebook and shoot us a message, we always love chatting with our fans. Thank you WWK.
Walk With Kings/ September 29th, 2019/ Headlines #20
NICK WHITING: Hey, I’m Nick, lead guitarist for Walk With Kings. We are a Metal band from Wollongong, NSW; Australia. We tip our caps to the greats such as Pantera, Slayer, Sepultura, and Metallica whilst utilizing production and stylistic inspiration from everything in between and recent. Me (Lead Guitarist) and Paul Ross (Bass) teamed up with friend and producer Lee Sergeant (Rhythm Guitarist) to forge the origins of Walk With Kings. Using modern recording technology, we programmed drums to write and fill the void of having no drummer. We released our No Lights E.P recorded and produced all in house by Lee Sergeant with then singer Aaron Murphy. Aaron was unable to sustain his role in the band due to life commitments. WWK advertised for a Drummer and a Singer and after the usual arduous task of sifting through the tire kickers and delusional narcissists, we stumbled across Cale Storer (Drums) and Joel Jennings (Vocals). Cale also being a producer teamed up with Lee to record Walk With Kings first single as the new line up "The Long Shadow." With the foundations built by Paul, Lee mande, paired with Joel's impressive 'brutal to melodic' vocal abilities, and Cale's hard-hitting groove style of drumming, the next chapter of Walk With Kings was born. We are currently in the process of writing and recording an album or second EP. Due to the fact we do everything in house at our own pace it’s difficult to put a finish date on it, but it’s definitely coming, stay tuned.
MPAP: Very nice. 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?
NICK: Firstly, we’d be absolutely honored if another band wanted to cover one of our songs and how they interpret it is entirely up to them, so that’s just where we stand from that point of view. In regards to that particular cover, we all know who Metallica is and how far they reach in terms of their fan base, so although it wasn’t the greatest version of the track, I’m sure it’s been of benefit to Celtic Frost, even if only by making people that may not have heard the original go and check it out and in doing so become a fan. That being said, it’s never cool to hear a butchered version of a good song, so maybe Metallica could’ve put a bit more effort into doing it justice.
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 here in the United States. 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?
NICK: Anyone that’s entered a real mosh pit knows full well that there’s a risk of injury, but in general I think metal heads have a certain etiquette that they follow when it comes to pits and most people aren’t there to hurt anyone. Unfortunately, there’s always that guy that wants to take it to the next level and he’s usually dealt with fairly quickly in one way or another. Over the last probably 5-10 years there’s been a definite progression of more violent activity in the mosh pit at some of the heavier shows with people engaging in what I’ve come to know as 'crowd kill', but it’s not a popular thing to do and that kind of behavior is generally not encouraged by the venue or the bands. So, I’d say the mosh pit is still a relatively safe place to be if you know what you’re doing and are there to enjoy yourself.
3. Slayer Pulled As Primary Sponsor Of NASCAR Due To Complaints From Other Sponsors
MPAP: Really? C’mon., it’s just a band name. It’s not like Satan himself will be driving the car, right?
NICK: Ok, being from Australia we don’t really get into NASCAR, but most Aussies do enjoy motor racing and fast cars. I can’t really comment on why the governing body of NASCAR would have an issue with Slayer as a sponsor, but I don’t see a problem. The other sponsors clearly aren’t metal heads.
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?
NICK: Yeh, making death threats to the singer of the band you’re waiting on to release new music is never a great idea, hahaha. I can understand the frustration, but hey it was worth the wait, right? It’s Tool!
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?
NICK: Fans definitely need to remember that their idols/ heroes or whatever are human beings too, and act appropriately when interacting with them. We (Walk With Kings) are certainly nowhere near the level of Rob Zombie or any of the others, so we’ve never encountered that kind of experience, but we’d like to, hahaha.
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?
NICK: Hahaha, that’s a hilarious situation. Yeh, it’s just a shirt. Let the guy work out for God’s sake!
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?
NICK: Definitely not a great way to spice up your relationship, hahaha. They both probably need to sort out some issues if that’s the direction they’re taking. Marriage counselling is probably a good place to start.
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?
NICK: Yeh firstly, our condolences to the families of those killed and anyone involved. I guess it’s a good thing to be wary of suspicious behavior and shady looking characters, but unfortunately for most metal heads that makes them a target. Of course, we shouldn’t be judged or pigeonholed because of what we wear, but I can see the correlation between the offender and the metal guys in the parking lot and understand people’s reaction, especially being so soon after the tragic event. Hopefully it’s not a continued issue.
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?
NICK: Of course, bands/artists should be allowed to sing about politics and other world events, it’s been the topic of thousands of songs in the past both for and against various aspects and music has and always will be a major platform to voice opinions and raise awareness of global events. As for an artist having a personal opinion and using their status or public profile to rant or verbally bash someone or something, I think they need to be very careful about what they say and what impact it may have. It’s like any platform or source of information though, we are made aware of certain things through the media in many different forms but it’s up to the individual to research and develop their own opinions.
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?
NICK: Wow, what an amazing story. I’d like to think all of our songs have an element of fear in them but that’s open to interpretation. If I had to name one particular song it would be one of our earliest tracks called “Remnants/Outdone,” which has a guest vocal performance by our good friend Ben from a local band called Ten Years Too Late. Ben’s gut-wrenching vocals mixed with our brand of metal in that track is enough to scare anyone. Check our YouTube channel to see the amateur video we made, hahaha.
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?
NICK: Oh, I totally agree, although CDʼs are still available for most releases they just aren’t as popular anymore due to the way listening to music has gone these days. I can understand bands being concerned about it but it’s the way it is, embrace it and use it. It’s a great time and opportunity for unsigned bands to be able to share their music with the world in a way that was never possible and it’s not easy to stand out in the crowd but I think sometimes it’s better to embrace change than to try and fight it.
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 the Hoff. It's worth a listen to when it comes out though. What do you think of this collaboration?
NICK: That’s definitely not a collaboration I would’ve thought of but it’s an interesting concept, I will have to check it out.
MPAP: What tv/movie actor would you like to cover a song with someday?
NICK: If I had the opportunity to collaborate with someone on tv/movies it’d have to be Morgan Freeman. How cool would the intro be with a voice over by Morgan and narrative like vocals over a drop B tuned breakdown.
MPAP: On behalf of Metal Pulp And Paper, I’d like to thank you, Nick, for taking the time to answer these headline questions. We look forward to what Walk With Kings does to finish out 2019 and beyond. Any last words for all your fans out there?
NICK: Thanks so much for the opportunity to talk to you guys, it was a blast. All our music is available on the usual platforms and guest vocal tracks and videos are up on our YouTube channel. Follow Walk With Kings on Instagram and Spotify to keep up to date with our releases. Give us a like on Facebook and shoot us a message, we always love chatting with our fans. Thank you WWK.
Walk With Kings/ September 29th, 2019/ Headlines #20