Matt Wood (drums) talks to R13 about 3 Inches of Blood's progression and the music of old.
R13:So what are the tour bus arrangements? Are you all crammed in together and have lots of arguments?
MW: No, it's been really good. We're bunking with Still Remains and just got a new bus today, so it's beautiful.
R13:Have you streamlined the loading and unloading of all the equipment?
MW: It's definitely coming together.
R13:Who has the most?
MW: I think it's pretty much equal because we're all sharing the same rental equipment. The first day nobody did nothing, we just all went and got drunk and left it for somebody else to do. But now we're all starting to pick up and pitch in.
R13:Are the crowds different to the US?
MW: The crowds at the shows are the standout thing. Pretty much the same old thing as the States ,but I find the crowds for all of the shows have been crazy. Way better than I expected, they don't even really know us or you wouldn't think that they would because we're from the other side of the world. It's been amazing.
R13:Where did the idea for the new video come from?
MW: We wanted to keep it kind of simple. We didn't want to do anything that you might associate with us. I think we'll save the dragon in the castle video for somewhere in the future. We all think that our live shows are pretty good, so we just stuck with that.
R13:Where did you film it?
MW: It's filmed in Tacoma, Seattle. By a guy named Dale, his last name escapes me. He works with Roadrunner, he did the Trivium video also and he's done stuff for Fear Factory.
R13:Any memorable moments from the shoot?
MW: We did the song 'Deadly Sinners' twice before the show and filmed two takes and kind of went from that. The kids went crazy. We had a sign up on the door - we're going to film a video today so just go nuts and bring your friends and all that kind of stuff. I don't even know how many kids turned up, like four hundred people, it was just packed. They put up a barrier and kids smashed into it. The video ended up basically what it is because of the crowd, the crowd was so cool, they just freaked out and just onstage jumping around. Stand out thing.
R13:Are the bands you previously played in still going?
MW: I play in a couple of bands still. Goat's Blood being one and I just recently got going with Pride Tiger.
R13:How are they different from 3IOB?
MW: Goat's Blood is really like kind of noisy sludgecore, something like 'Eye Hate God'. Pride Tiger is pretty much similar to 3IOB, it's kind of going back in time. We all listen to a lot of the older stuff, stuff that's twenty or thirty years old. It's our version of really good British hard rock. Stuff like Atomic Rooster and Deep Purple.
R13:What would be your ultimate side project?
MW: I'd want to play drums in The Melvins. Have you heard of The Melvins from out west, around Seattle, Washington? I'd just boot the drummer out, that would be my dream band for sure.
R13:The album was delayed for a couple of months due to band changes, what's the story?
MW: A year ago we went into recording it. Pre-production portion is where you have everybody sit in a room and the band jams out the songs and then they pick stuff apart. It wasn't working out with the drummer, he needed to step it up a little bit. So when that was addressed I think he just kind of got bummed out on the whole thing. I mean it happens to a lot of bands I heard in the past. You go to do a major label debut and all of a sudden the band just explodes because people get kind of freaked out. I think he just got bummed out because he felt like everyone was mad at him for not having his chops up. So I was actually living with Cam (Pipes) the lead singer and like I said, I play in a lot of bands around town and had been a 3IOB fan for a long time. I just kept bugging those guys, "If you ever need a new drummer you can call?", and they did and it ended up working out. I came in right before the recording of the album, as did Brian (bass). The bass player and the drummer were brothers so the bass player had to go too. I don't know too much about it.
R13:Have you kept your own style or emulated the previous drummers?
MW: I definitely tried to do my own thing. I had their demos with me and listened to it briefly but I felt like I was maybe developing some bad habits, so we just threw it out and I pretty much did the first thing that came into my mind. I had to learn fifteen songs in one week, so I had to work pretty fast.
R13:I noticed you use your sticks the other way round, have you always played like that?
MW: Not always. I developed that from just breaking so many sticks. I couldn't afford it any more so as you know I flip it around so the skinny side's in my hand so I've got more wood. I've broken a cowbell, actually I still play with it. It sounds like shit but I still use it!
(Due to sound check we had to move location to the glass entrance. Matt notices all the kids outside.)
MW: YEAH! They recognise me, man (talking to fellow band member of the Roadrage tour).
R13:What's the story behind your massive tattoo?
MW: It's kind of like one piece I'm working on my whole arm. I started with a wooden heart over where my real heart is. I'm going to do a few more birds. I was actually thinking about it last night and I got some good ideas for it. It's crazy how you should ask me that. It's work in progress but I killed a crow one time with a slingshot and then felt really bad about it so I got a crow tattoo and since that day I don't kill.
R13Vegetarian?
MW: Not vegetarian, but I don't even kill bugs any more. That like changed me. I like tattoos that are significant I guess you could say. I'm not really into skulls and snakes. Something like that's a moment in my life, like a story.
R13:What's currently on your stereo?
MW: I've been listening to a lot of Uriah Heap. All kind of old music, before heavy metal was pinned down as a style, they were like one of those bands taking a stab at it . I love Budgie. Budgie are from Wales. Metallica, they did some Budgie covers.
R13What would be your weapon of choice if you had to kill...um dead things...like...um...zombies?
MW: It would have to be non-living [laughing]. Oh man definitely an axe. I'd have to go with an axe. I don't know why though.
3 Inches Of Blood's new album 'Advance And Vanquish' is out now on Roadrunner Records. For Roadrage tour dates click here.
Thank you to Kirsten and Sami from Roadrunner Records for this interview.