RR: I bet you’ve had a busy day today [doing interviews].

BE: Yeah, it’s always busy around a release. But that’s not a bad thing. I suppose this is what I do and it’s not something I hate. It’s actually something I love to do, is this band. Quite obviously, I mean eleven records. It’s not like every one of them is just something that we throw out there. My feeling is that they always have extreme value to them and this is what it’s about. And it’s a really exciting time. And if it is something I love, it’s really not like working

RR: In about a week, or less than a week, you’re heading out to Europe. You’re doing a tour with Halford supporting your new album Bloodletting. What’s the metal scene like out there right now?

BE: Well, you know it’s a very over saturated scene. The European market has got probably more sub-genres than the American market right now. There’s true metal and power metal, this metal and that metal, and black and dark and brown. It goes on and on and on. But there seems to be, I subscribe to a couple of the bigger European magazines, a hundred releases a month…new. And I would say to myself that if I had to support this scene as somebody who had to buy these records, it would be financially impossible to do. And besides that all these bands tour. So the idea about going out with Rob is to give the kids a lot more value for their money. To be able to give them more bang for their deutschmark, or their shilling, or the pound, because the package is what it’s about. They can actually see two bands on this bill as opposed to seeing one. For instance a local or one of the other bands fighting for room over there. And we kind of already have room over there. We’re established to a certain degree as far as the touring theater goes. So it’s going to be a good thing for us. I’m real excited about that.

RR: So when can we expect a U.S. tour?

BE: We’re out there probably a hundred, hundred and a half every year. And I would think that we start right after Christmas, ‘cause this [European tour] will take us into December. And then the holidays at home with the families and then back out on the road probably within the first two weeks of January.

RR: Any idea who you’re going to take with you yet?

BE: Well, we just had this merger with CMC and Sanctuary. It recently happened this year. And out of this came Sanctuary Records and Metal-Is, so there’s other bands on there. This is one of the optimistic features for us of this merger is that there’s more bands in the pool right now to put these kind of packages together. I don’t know right know, but we already talked to a few of the guys on the Metal-Is label.

RR: In a sense, you never left CMC International. You kind of just shifted over into a different department of that label.

BE: Metal-Is is more the brainchild of Tom at CMC and Rob at Sanctuary. This is their metal label after their merger, this kind of came out of it. The contract stayed intact and all that stuff, it was just a matter if we wanted to stay on CMC directly or involved in the Sanctuary thing with Metal-Is. My feeling was hey, I want to be a part of something new here. I think this is going to be something good for us. Quite obviously it has been. I mean this record has gotten a lot of promotion, a lot of positive feedback. I think we’re in more areas now than we could be, for instance with just one of the labels handling. So there’s really two labels handling this record and that’s a really good thing for us.

RR: On the new album you’re still cranking out the fast guitars and the double-bass drums and everything, which is pretty much a signature of what heavy metal was, is, and should be. And that also includes your singing style. Now with all the changes in the rock scene, was that a challenge to keep that genre of music going? Or was it still pretty much the same as it always was?

BE: I think you have to know how we feel about ourselves first. First and foremost we know what we are. There’s never really been an identity crisis for us. It’s never how are we going to get into this share of the market or how are we going to get into that share of the market. It’s never been that way. There’s been evolution with this band. I mean there’s been changes. But I think that when you really think about bands who stay doing what they do within the metal genre, it’s pretty much us and a few others. It’s really not a whole slew of them. So we never really had an identity crisis. It was never about style. It was never really about fashion. It was never about keeping up with the Jones’, the Limp Bizkits, the Korns, or whoever it may be. It was always about being us. And this gives you a hell of a lot of time to do what you do best. And I think that we had the opportunity by not making this part of the equation. By not making popularity or fashion or public opinion as part of our equation, it gives us the opportunity to concentrate on the music. And the music is Overkill. Therefore, we’re Overkill. So it’s really an easy situation. We don’t really worry about where we should be. We’re more worried about where we are. And that’s never really a worry because we know what we are. It just becomes a very natural result when it comes down to a record.
RR: Overkill has gone through a few line up changes over the years, where yourself and bassist D.D. Verni have remained the core members. You know have a new guitarist, Dave Linsk, who has taken over the role that was once held by two guitarists. How did you hook up with Dave and what other projects has he been involved in prior to joining Overkill?


BE: Well, we have had a lot of line up changes. That’s part of the equation we were talking about even prior to this. And I think one of the things that I have come to grips with probably about 5 years ago is that change is really the only content. Every member except for Bobby Gustafson has left on his own accord. I don’t think people always understand that about us. I think that they would think that it would be my band or mine and D.D.’s or just D.D’s and out comes the axe and off comes a head. And that’s not really the way it is. These are personal decisions that these guys make; my wife’s pregnant, I want to work in the family business, I’m getting married. One guy was racing motorcycles and couldn’t commit to the road and motorcycles. These were personal decisions that these people made. But as far as these changes go, they’ve really been necessary for us because they really allow us to bring in new blood like Dave Linsk. Dave is a local guy, Jersey guy. We met him through audition, but was recommended by a photographer here who resides in New Jersey. Mark Weiss has done some fantastic work for many years with his camera, but also manages bands. And he managed Dave’s band called Anger On Anger. This band had played some local shows with us in the opening slot. We’ve seen Dave play. We always liked his playing, respected his playing...quite obviously the playing is evident and highlighted all over this record. This is a very Overkill/guitar record…the proof is in the pudding. Press play and hear what this guy can do. It’s quite impressive.

RR: How does that all work in when you do live performances? Where you play songs that were originally written for two guitarists. Do you bring in another guitarist for the tour or do you incorporate the two into one?

BE: We’re looking for a second member right now. When we go out to do this Halford tour Joe Comeau will join us, our last guitar player. Joe will join us for that tour and after that there will be another full member of Overkill. We’ve actually talked to a few guys, some local guys, and we’ve narrowed it down to a few. But I would think by January there will be a new guy holding an axe up there behind the name Overkill.

RR: So Joe basically left, but is just filling in until you find somebody?

BE: He had the opportunity to sing for a Canadian band called Annihilator. He wanted to front the band. We had no problem with him doing this and even retaining his position in Overkill. But he also wanted to tour with both bands and that becomes a problem because we do a lot of touring. There is a point where you have to be on the bus or off the bus. And I think when it comes to touring you have to commit to one or the other. And he said that I [Joe] have to commit to both, and I said well that’s not possible.

RR: You can’t be in two places at one time.

BE: It’s quite that simple. That was the only reason for Joe leaving. I like Joe, I always have. It’s going to be a great situation back on the road with us. Even though we have toured with anybody else but him, it’ll feel like a reunion old times kind of thing. Even though old times was only four or five months ago.

RR: Where do your influences writing lyrics come from? Like on the song “Left Hand Man” where you’re talking about that God can’t hear you, can’t see you, he can’t be your left hand man. You’re not just singing about having a good time drinking, getting laid, or whatever. You’ve got some more serious topics going on here.

BE: Lyrical inspiration for me is always internal. The mind is a terrible thing to waste. I’ve always been fascinated by religious symbolism, by the affect of religion on people and people’s perception of God and higher powers, etc. If you read the lyrics in this, taken from an abstract, twisted point of view, it’s really about a belief in God as opposed to a non-belief in God. The left hand is where God never sits anyway…if you read into it a little bit deeper I think that you’d be able to understand the meaning of it more so.

RR: You’ve also self-produced this album and others for a long time now. I think a lot of bands don’t even get the opportunity to do so. How is it that you guys have been able to do it for so long?

BE: We were paying attention right from the very beginning. We did have a vision of what we wanted it to sound like. We didn’t really know how to get there and many of the producers that we’ve worked with helped us along the way. But we did pay attention when they were doing it. So the self-production end of it became more evident that we could achieve these goals that we were looking for based on paying attention…

RR: Horrorscope, back in 1991, seemed to come across as a favorite for fans and critics alike. Do you feel that much has changed in the way of Overkill music since then or is it pretty much the same and everything else around it has changed and just doing what you love.

BE: We do do what we love and it’s just quite obviously that. But one of the neat things about Bloodletting is that it’s got kind of a Horrorscope vibe to it. Something came creeping out of the closet during this one that’s really a blend of where this band was evolving into and also at the same time saying oh wait a second we forgot all this shit was in the attic. We took and threw on the wagon. It’s a little bit of both in this. You know, I think the evolution of Overkill has always been very natural. I don’t think that it’s ever been forced. I think that that’s obvious with the song writing approach we’ve always done. It never really changed that much for us. You know, if it’s not broken don’t fix it is the philosophy. The point is that there’s a big arsenal of weapons that are in the closet and boom, all of the sudden one of them kind of rears its ugly head. There’s tracks on Bloodletting, for instance “What I’m Missin’” or “Bleed Me’ that kind of lend themselves to that era with a contemporary value, with a kind of reinvented value. It’s funny that you did bring up Horrorscope because that’s been recently going through my mind…boy this really seems like its got that feel again. And that was actually one of my favorite records was Horroscope also.
RR: And at that time metal was still a very popular genre of music back then. How do you continue to drive without the support of radio or MTV seeing that they’ve pushed aside this genre of metal?
BE: We’ve had that support, but we had it minimally. It wasn’t about us in the metal scene back then, it was about
pour some sugar on me way cool Jr. It was a really confusing time. There was metal bands or punk bands with haircuts, you know. It was just like oh yeah I really like heavy metal, look what the cat dragged in. It just became a confused issue. I said how in the hell can you put a band like Overkill, or a band like Anthrax, or a band like Testament and even use it in the same breath with bands that were singing pop songs about getting laid and about drinking, or partying all night and how big their cocks were. That really had nothing to do with us. And to some degree it was insulting because I always considered us one step to the left. So I never really gave a rat’s ass about MTV. We would go on there and do our interviews and I remember half the time they’d be yelling down from the control both that the curly headed guy can’t say that on the air…it was this controlled kind of promotion. It was only promotion in the way that they wanted to promote you. So it was bullshit for me anyway.

RR: True. And if you weren’t wearing ten tons of make up on your face then you weren’t on there.

BE: Fuckin’ A, let’s get down to fuckin’ cases here. They were trying to sell Buicks, Levis, and fuckin’ bubble gum. It was that simple. I had no business doing it. What I was talking about was fuckin’ twisted and dark and really I don’t understand why I have to sit here and put up with your fuckin’ bullshit just to get my record heard. Maybe I’m my own worst enemy when it comes to promotion. But I’ll tell you one thing is that it kept my dignity intact. So when they went away I said thank God, you know. I made the sign of the cross and said back to the underground boys, back where we are comfortable. And I knew for a fact that the bands that they confused us with would never survive down there. There’s too much teeth down there…now we use the Internet. Hey, we’re instantaneously right there at wreckingcrew.com if anybody wants to get a hold of us…fantastic! Right there. It’s right at your fingertips. I don’t have to wait until Saturday night and watch Headbanger’s Ball and see nine videos that were being played during the day and then one Kreator video.

RR: And it’s your true fans that continue to go through you guys over the years and find out what you’re doing next, or when’s that new album coming out, or when can I see them and everything. Those are the guys that really support you and make it all worthwhile. I mean that’s who you’re playing for besides yourself right?

BE: Well, we play with. We don’t play for. That’s one of the things that this has always been one unified scene. We’ve always had six members of this band. The other one just happens to be the audience. And they’re really the important member. We’ve always said this. This isn’t about me being an artiste and come and see what I created. This borders on instantaneous terrorism. I don’t want to sound like a sick bastard, but the point is that it really is a powerful, powerful genre. But it’s momentarily powerful, instant gratification. But those moments have been carried on for so many years right now that actually its value has strung along from day to day. It’s been here for a long time and its had that value for that amount of time

RR: Anything to say to your fans that have supported you over the years?

BE: You mean I can’t flag MTV anymore?

RR: Nah, we’re done with MTV.

BE: Well, I think that it’s a mutual support. I think that that’s what it’s all about. This has always been a hands on band, easily reached. You’ll find us in the parking lot sitting on the hood of your car probably listening to your demo as opposed to standing backstage drinking champagne, but that’s the way it is for us. It’s simple. I find very easy to live with myself.

Thanks for the interview Bobby.

If you have a chance to see these guys, I highly suggest it. We shared a lot of laughs during this interview. Totally down to earth and a great sense of humor. Definitely somebody you’d want to meet and hang with.