 Interviewer:
Cameron Edney - http://insideout666.mysite.freeserve.comSo far this year many metal albums have been released that we know will be talked about for some time, one of those albums is defiantly the new Soulfly slab ‘Dark Ages’ an album that has mixed old-school Sepultura with the new sound Soulfly. I recently caught up with guitarist Marc Rizzo who has come a long way from the days of forming band Ill Nino. These days Marc is shredding the guitar in the studio and onstage with Soulfly who are currently on tour, Marc also has been busy with the re-release of his instrumental album ‘Collasol Myopia’ an album that combines both thrash metal with flamenco style guitar playing. This is one of those albums that all respected guitarists will enjoy and an album that all new comers will be blown away listening to. When I caught up with Marc we spoke about the re-release of his solo album, the new Soulfly album, the possibility of releasing a live DVD, touring Australia, those comments Max recently made about touring again with Sepultura and much more. It’s time to take a trip through the Dark Ages with Marc Rizzo. Metal Fanatix: Hi Marc, how's things mate? Marc Rizzo: Good thanks, how are you? Metal Fanatix: I well thanks, Marc first of all thank you for putting some time aside to answer these questions for our readers. I would like to start by congratulating you on what is by far the best Soulfly album released to date. Were you guys happy with the outcome of ‘Dark Ages’? Marc Rizzo: Oh yeah I am 100% happy with the outcome of the new record. I think we all were about recording this past year on tour & I think it came out better than we expected. We really challenged our selves & really pushed ourselves to limits to make this record. Metal Fanatix: I love the new album it’s somewhere along the lines of old Sepultura meets new Soulfly! Marc Rizzo: Exactly! Joe & I are both huge thrash metal fans as is Max. We wanted to get back to that style. We love the Soulfly stuff but we really wanted to get back to solos & great thrash riffs. Metal Fanatix: How long did it take to record the new album? Marc Rizzo: Not long at all; it took about a month to record the basic guitars, bass & drums. Max took a bit of time doing the vocals & going over the world to find those weird instruments. It took us about six months all together. Metal Fanatix: When it came time to record ‘Dark Ages’ did you approach it in a different way to albums you have worked on in the past? Marc Rizzo: I think we talked about getting back to the thrash style because Joe & myself are really into that style of music & we’re both well schooled in that style of music. Max also wanted to go back into more of the world music vibe that he’s always had. He continued to go around the world to look for strange instruments to use on the record. Metal Fanatix: What guitars did you use on the new album? Did you pull out any vintage guitars for this one? Marc Rizzo: The new record I was using ESP Viper for basically the whole record, I used a Strat, nothing to old, just one from the eighties. I used that on all the clean parts. All the clean sounding parts were the Strat, all the acoustic parts were done with a Yamaha nylon string acoustic but the heavy rhythms were all done on the Viper. Metal Fanatix: How would you describe your guitar playing on the new album? Marc Rizzo: It similar to my instrumental CD there are a lot of solos on it, I love Sepultura, Cannibal Corpse, I love a lot of the death metal bands, the whole thrash era. I definitely brought that style back into the band. Metal Fanatix: In a few words can you tell us the first thing that comes to mind when I mention the following tracks:  Marc
Rizzo:Carved Inside: That was a song that we wrote in the studio. That one was done pretty quick man; it was just one of those songs. Max & I both had riffs for it. I had sent Max tracks for some of the basic riffs then Max came up with some riffs for it & boom!. Basically we wrote that song in a day. I and I: That’s an awesome song that Max brought to the table, he pretty much had everything in there, & we just went in there & did it in one or two takes. I really loved the recording, the guitar parts for this track, all the weird effects, it was cool. Babylon: It’s funny with ‘Babylon’ it was the last song that we wrote which is obviously now the lead track on the record. On the majority of the record there’s a lot of fast, up tempo songs. Basically we came up with the riff on the spot, then recorded the drums, went back & did the guitars. That was another one that we knocked the whole arrangement for the song in a day. Feel the Hate: That’s another song where Max came in with a riff & we collaborated on it. Basically all the songs we had the arrangements done in an hour or two. We went in & did drums in one day, basic rhythm& bass tracks in one day. Metal Fanatix: It's amazing that something that sounds so good can be knocked up so quick in the studio, when you hear that some bands have spent six months writing one song [laughs]. Marc Rizzo: You know what, I think it’s a joke when some bands spend forever in a studio, it’s just rock man! We’re not writing ‘Beethoven’s fifth’. If you practice everyday & you’re well schooled in the type of music you want to play, write & improvise. If you know your scales & you know your chords, know what works & what doesn’t, why would it take you so long? Metal Fanatix: Tell us something about the other guys in the band that we wouldn’t know? Marc Rizzo: Oh, everybody’s really cool. Max is awesome. I’d never met Max before joining the band. He is one of the coolest people I’ve met in the business. Max is open to ideas. He wants you to be happy just as much as he wants to be happy. The rest of the guys in the band are like that too. Metal Fanatix: Recently you re-released your solo album ‘Collasol Myopia’ on Shrapnel Records in America. When I heard this album I was really impressed, it’s somewhat a departure from the work you’re doing in Soulfly. I believe this project has taken a couple of years, it wasn’t something that you just threw together over night. Can you tell us how the project came about? Marc Rizzo: It’s basically something that I’ve wanted to do for a long time. I had released this CD on my own record company & I put it out, then it got picked up by Shrapnel Records. Basically it’s an instrumental shred CD. It’s a mixture of Yngwie Malmsteen & Paco De Lucia who are two of my favorite guitar players; I’ve always been a huge fan of flamenco & Latin guitar music & of course heavy metal, [Yngwie] Malmsteen, Jason Becker, Marty Friedman etc. Basically I wanted to do a record that combined those two styles together. Mike Varney, president of Shrapnel Records really dug the album & signed me up, gave me a record deal & hooked me up to write a couple of new songs for the record & put it out. I can’t wait to make another one. Metal Fanatix: So is this just something you’re going to continue to do as a side project or would you consider leaving Soulfly to do concentrate on that full time? Marc Rizzo: Oh I want to continue to do both. I love being in Soulfly & I love doing my instrumental stuff. When I’m not on tour with Soulfly then I wanna go out & tour for my instrumental album as well. Both are very important to me. Metal Fanatix: I believe the original version of ‘Collasol Myopia’ is becoming quite the collectable. When you signed with Shrapnel whose idea was it to re-release the album with new artwork & extra tracks? Marc Rizzo: That was Mike Varney’s idea. He came out to one of our shows in San Francisco. He said that he would love it if I’d do more metal shred work & also have the record leaning towards flamenco music. Both Mike & Max were the first two people that were cheering me on to do rock solos. For a long time nobody wanted to hear heavy metal solos. Having those guys in my corner really pushed me in the direction to record more metal shred tracks. I pushed myself on that album & was really happy with the outcome. Metal Fanatix: Do you know if there is a release date set yet for ‘Collasol Myopia’ here in Australia? Marc Rizzo: You know, I’ll find out. I don’t know if they plan on releasing it down there. I would love for it to get released there & I would really love to come down to Australia & play some shows for the album. I know it has been released all over Europe & it has been released here in the states. But I’m not too sure about Australia. For now if anyone wants to order the CD they can get it direct from Shrapnel’s website http://www.shrapnelrecords.com/storehome.jsp  Metal
Fanatix: Max recently said in an interview that he is looking
forward to playing shows again in the future with Sepultura. With
statements such as that & yourself having side projects, what
does the future hold for the Soulfly?Marc Rizzo: I think Soulfly will be going on forever. For as long as Max is around Soulfly will continue. If Max put Sepultura back together that would be awesome, I’m the first person who’d love to see that. I’m a huge Sepultura fan, I grew up on Sepultura, & they’re still one of my favorite bands. Metal Fanatix: Now Soulfly are heading back out on tour this month, what can fans expect to see this time around? Marc Rizzo: This time around we’re going to do everything off the new record; the fans can really expect to see a thrash set. We’re also going to be doing all the old classic Soulfly songs & a lot of old Sepultura stuff like ‘Inner Self’, ‘Dead Embryonic Cells’, ‘Territory’ & ‘Mass Hypnosis’. We try to get all these songs perfect, note for note cause we’re such fans of the music. I think you can expect a fast, brutal & heavy set from us. Metal Fanatix: Do you guys have any plans to return to Australia in the next year? Marc Rizzo: I hope so; I have never been down there. I would love to go to Australia & rock out. Metal Fanatix: That’s true you never toured here with Ill Nino either did you? Marc Rizzo: No we never made it down there, I’d love to come down there & play. Metal Fanatix: Over the years you have shared the stage with many great bands. Who have you enjoyed touring with the most? Marc Rizzo: Hmmm, I would say the two bands off the top of my head are Black Sabbath & Morbid Angel. Obviously the Black Sabbath tour was awesome; we did the whole tour with them in Europe a couple of months ago. Walk down the hallway and there’s Ozzy walking past you [laughs] it’s crazy man. Tony Iommi’s dressing room was over from mine & every night I would listen to him warming up, just jamming out before the show. Morbid Angel was another band I really enjoyed touring with. They were great man! Metal Fanatix: Do you do anything specific to warm up & prepare for a show? Marc Rizzo: Yeah, I usually like to get my work out done before I go onstage, so I will go for a jog, do weights or whatever I can do. I always have a guitar handy, I practice all day long. Before I go onstage I will do some scales & think about the songs that we’re gonna play that night & go over them then just get ready to get out there & play. Metal Fanatix: Marc, name some of your biggest musical influences? Marc Rizzo: Oh, I would say Marty Friedman, Yngwie Malmsteen, Greg Howe, then on the flamenco side of things I would have to say I’m into a lot of flamenco guitar playing I wouldn’t know where to begin. I love all the thrash metal bands from the eighties, Metallica, Slayer, Sepultura, Megadeth that whole style. It’s some of my all time favorite music. Metal Fanatix: Wow, thrash metal to flamenco music! Its one extreme to the other isn’t it? Marc Rizzo: Yeah definitely! I love both styles, I think they belong together. I think that flamenco is some of the most demanding style technically to play on the guitar & then you’ve got metal on the other hand which is just as demanding & definitely fits the criteria. Metal Fanatix: Did you always want to be a guitarist? Marc Rizzo: Oh yeah, I’ve been playing guitar since I was eight & I’m twenty eight now. I don’t even want to play any other instrument. I have always been a die hard guitar fan man. Metal Fanatix: What was the first guitar you owned? Marc Rizzo: I had a little acoustic guitar when I was about eight years old; I started on that, it was about a year later that I got my first electric which I don’t even think it had a name. It was just a little black guitar [laughs]. Metal Fanatix: In between the touring & recording what do you like to do when you do get some spare time? Marc Rizzo: Play guitar basically [laughs]. Anytime I am at home I’m constantly playing guitar & working with some other projects that I have here at home. Metal Fanatix: Which record/song would define Marc Rizzo to a complete stranger?  Marc
Rizzo: I would say the opening track of my new instrumental
album ‘Collasol Myopia’ that basically sums me all up
it’s got the metal thread style, the Flamenco style. It’s
everything I am about.Metal Fanatix: Now you guys were just on touring, you’re taking this short break, then the plans are to head back out this month. Can we expect to see a live DVD anytime soon? Marc Rizzo: Actually we just recorded some shows in Poland. I figure they’re putting it out sometime this year or early next year! I don’t really know what they plan on doing with it. I can’t say at this stage if there will be extra footage or not. I do know that the footage of us playing in Poland is fantastic. Every time we play in Poland those kids go insane for us. We’ve got great fans everywhere, but in Poland they are just so hungry for Soulfly. It’s really too early to say what’s happening with the DVD, but I would expect it to get released in the next few months. I can’t wait to see it myself. Metal Fanatix: From all the albums you have appeared on what one would be your favorite to listen to & why? Marc Rizzo: I would say there is two of them; one is my instrumental CD “Collasol Myopia” the other is the new Soulfly album ‘Dark Ages’ I love both of them. I really put out more of myself on those records. It’s the type of music I love & the styles of music that I listen to is on both of those albums. Metal Fanatix: Are you currently listening to any of the newer Hard Rock/Metal bands? If so who? Marc Rizzo: Yes, I love all the new bands that are out there right now. I love Lamb of God & Shadows Fall. I think Shadows Fall is one of the best bands to come out in a long time. God there are so many great bands right now that I can’t even remember them all off the top of my head [laughs]. Now, people are really fed up with a lot of the nu-metal stuff & the pop/metal bands. I liked a lot of the nu-metal bands but it’s great to see thrash metal comin' back to the frontline & great to see that people are craving musicianship again. Metal Fanatix: If you could put a band together consisting of musicians passed and/or present who would they be & what would you call the band? Marc Rizzo: Wow, that’s a tough one! I would want everybody in that band. All the great guitarist, all those great drummers, oh I’d have to say Dave Lombardo [Slayer] on drums, Zakk Wylde [Ozzy Osbourne/Black Label Society] on guitar, Les Claypool [Primus] on bass & as far as a singer I would want a rock singer like Sammy Hager [Van Halen]. I’d call the band The Greats! [Laughs] Metal Fanatix: Any last words you want to share with our readers? Marc Rizzo: Hopefully we will be down your way to play soon, I have never been to Australia, so I can’t wait to play for all our fans their, the home of AC/DC right! We will get down there & rock out! For all the latest info on Marc & Soulfly check out the following websites: http://www.soulfly.com - Official Soulfly website http://www.marcrizzo.com - Official Marc Rizzo website http://www.myspace.com/soulfly - Soulfly My Space site http://inside_out666.mysite.freeserve.com - Dedicated to 40 years of pure hard rock & metal music Soulfly are currently out on tour, make sure you catch them at the following shows. Sun 10/16/05 Atlanta, GA The Masquerade Mon 10/17/05 Tampa, FL The Masquerade Tue 10/18/05 Jacksonville, FL Freebird Live Wed 10/19/05 Fort Lauderdale, FL Culture Room Thu 10/20/05 Lake Buena Vista, FL House Of Blues Sat 10/22/05 Winston-Salem, NC Ziggy's Sun 10/23/05 Towson, MD Recher Theatre Mon 10/24/05 New York, NY Irving Plaza Tue 10/25/05 Hartford, CT Webster Theatre / Underground Wed 10/26/05 Boston, MA Axis Thu 10/27/05 Philadelphia, PA The Trocadero & Balcony Bar Fri 10/28/05 Allentown, PA Crocodile Rock Cafe Sat 10/29/05 Levittown, NY Voltage Sun 10/30/05 Cleveland, OH Peabody's Down Under Mon 10/31/05 Milwaukee, WI The Rave / Eagles Club Tue 11/01/05 Columbus, OH Newport Music Hall Wed 11/02/05 Fort Wayne, IN Piere's Thu 11/03/05 Detroit, MI Harpo's Fri 11/04/05 Sauget, IL Pop's Sun 11/06/05 Saint Paul, MN Station 4 Mon 11/07/05 Chicago, IL House Of Blues Tue 11/08/05 Carter Lake, IA Chez Paree Wed 11/09/05 Denver, CO Ogden Theatre Thu 11/10/05 Salt Lake City, UT Lo-Fi Cafe Fri 11/11/05 Albuquerque, NM Sunshine Theatre Sat 11/12/05 Las Vegas, NV House Of Blues Sun 11/13/05 Anaheim, CA House Of Blues Mon 11/14/05 West Hollywood, CA House Of Blues Please note all dates are subject to change & are correct at time of print. © Cameron Edney October 2005 Not to be re-printed in any form without written permission. |
