Randy "Thrasher" Foxe, formerly of
MANILLA ROAD are truly one of the most obscure names in metal. From 1979 till 1992,they released albums which defined the sound of epic metal forever with complicated arrangements, superior lyrics of fantasy, and of course,kick ass music to back it all up. Truly great.
Thanks to Iron Glory Records and Sentinel Steel Records,ALL of the bands albums are becoming avaliable on CD for those of us who have never heard the band,or thos of us who knew them and have worn out their works over time. Randy "Thrasher" Foxe provided the pounding drums which propelled the music,and it was an honor to have him do this interview with us here at Unstoppable Force. Read below if you never heard the band,or if you have ever had questions you wanted answered about Mr Foxe. Enjoy.
UF-When did you start playing drums? What bands were you in before joining MANILLA ROAD?
RF-I started playing drums at ten years old. I was also playing around with the piano.
UF-How did you join the band?
RF-Previous to joining Manilla Road, I had been playing guitar and keyboards in bands for several years. I had packed my drums away and told people that I would play drums when I found a guitar player better than myself.
The band I had spent nearly two years with suddenly disbanded due to one member finding a new religion and one drinking excessively.
A couple of guys were wanting to manage Manilla Road and had been to see one of the last gigs I had performed with my previous band. They had complimented my guitar playing and I mentioned that my biggest strength was drumming. They set up an audition, of sorts.
Meanwhile, Mark and Scott had been auditioning drummers at their rehearsal space. They got tired of bringing in drummers, jamming, and being dissappointed. Therefore, they decided to audition me, solo, at my house. They asked me to play something and I started improvising. My set faced away from the door so I couldn't see their reaction. Mark later told me a giant smile spread across Scott's face. They tapped me on the shoulder and asked if I could play double-bass. I started playing again, using both bass drums, and again was stopped. They then asked me to jam with them.
We played one evening, first performing "Necropolis" and "Crystal Logic". Then we worked on new material. It just felt right and I stayed.
UF-What were your feelings about the work of the man you replaced,Scott Fisher?
RF-I had seen Manilla Road only once with Scott. All I remember was that the guitarist, Mark, was a wild man.
UF-How involved were you with the songwriting on the first record you played on "Open The Gates"?
RF-Most of the material was written before I joined. There was just some fine tuning and wrapping to songs around the new drum parts. "The Ninth Wave" was a jam we had played around with that we improvised in the studio. We were a bit surprised at how well it came out.
UF-Were you a fan of the band when you joined them?
RF-Not really. I had seen them perform only once.
UF-Mark Shelton has said that the next album "The Deluge" was when the band hit their peak...do you think that is a proper statement?
RF-Well, I would say that it was one peak. I also felt that "The Courts of Chaos" was another peak.
UF-What motivated the band to sound the way that you did?
RF-One thing was that I had much more input from that point on. I had taken another band into the same studio as a producer and had proven myself in that area. I also got involved from the beginning in the writing of those songs.
I am not discounting Scott's or, especially, Mark's involvement. I am speaking only of the things which directed me.
UF-The next album "Mystification" had excellent songs,but the original production was very rough on the ears. What was the reason for that?
RF-We were led to believe that we needed to go into a bigger studio with a new producer to get a better sound and/or record deal. We booked time in a Memphis studio. We were a bit misled about the situation. The "great" sixteen track deck had, as I remember, twelve tracks that worked consistently and a couple more that could occasionally be coaxed into functioning. Much of the equipment was in disrepair. The "producer" had no experience with anything like Manilla Road and didn't know how to record us. It was not a great experience.
What made it worse was that when we got the master tapes back home and began to cut the final master, we discovered that the producer had spent one night, probably using time for which we had paid, mixing a dance mix of someone else's song. He recorded it over "Up from the Crypt"! Mark and I had to drive back to Memphis and remix that one song.
UF-Do you think that maybe the crummy cover art might have kept those who weren't into the band away from the band?
RF-I really don't think the artwork was "crummy". It was certainly different from Eric Larnoy's artwork, which was incredible. I think it just suffered from the comparison.
UF-How do you feel about the sound on the re-release of the "Mystification" album?
RF-It's a vast improvement over the original mix! It's amazing what they've done!
UF-Where was the "Live Roadkill" album recorded?
RF-It was recorded at two or three shows here in Wichita. Incidentally, I was not present when the additional audience noise was added. That was a demand of Black Dragon.
UF-What was a typical MANILLA ROAD show like?
RF-For one thing, we did a lot of "jamming". By this, I mean that we would improvise extended songs. It was very popular with our local audience as no one, including the band, had any idea where the song was going. I felt we had a nearly psychic bond during the "jams".
Incidentally, the "jams" began one night when Mark completely lost his voice. Rather than cancel, we went on and just improvised for the entire night. Those who witnessed that show spoke very highly of the music they heard and others were soon requesting "jams".
We were also incredibly loud. I use DC3S drumsticks, which are the largest available...three-quarters of an inch in diameter...and I hold them opposite of most drummers (the skinny end should be the handle, right?). Mark would play through three huge Marshall amps. Two were for him and one was my guitar monitor. Scott had a huge wall of amps and speakers. People would wince both at gigs and at practices.
The other thing that was unusual was that it was hard to get us to stop playing. We just wanted to keep jamming all night.
UF-Did your record label (Black Dragon) help you as far as getting money for shows?
RF-No. As a matter of fact, they continued pressing discs after their contracts had expired and never paid us for those royalties.
UF-Did the band ever play Europe?
RF-Only after I'd left the band. The planning for that show was the reason I left.
UF-"Out Of The Abyss" is a great album with more speed than your previous work,but it is a very controversial album. Do you think that the band might have replaced atmosphere for speed on the album?
RF-Not at all. Listen to "Return of the Old Ones" or "Helicon". Those songs absolutely drip with atmosphere. That album was just where we had gone musically. Mark and I were really pushing each other, musically. It was very natural at that time.
UF-How did you get in contact with Leviathan Records to release the album?
RF-David Chastain had worked with Black Dragon early on. I believe he heard our music from them. He then contacted us.
UF-Did Black Dragon release it throughout the rest of the world?
RF-I believe so.
UF-Do you think that "The Courts of Chaos" was a return to what the fans thought was true MANILLA ROAD in terms of the slower,more atmospheric songs?
RF-Perhaps so. But, again, it was just where we went naturally. I had begun playing keyboards simultaneously with the drums. That slowed me down, somewhat. The keyboards added an extra layer to the music, too. "The Courts of Chaos" remains my favorite Manilla Road album.
UF-How did you play both the drums and keyboards live at the same time?
RF-Years earlier, I had experimented with playing drums and piano together. I would place the piano on my left and play it with my left hand while playing the drums with my right hand. Then, while playing guitar and keys in bands, I had worked on playing keyboards with my right hand and guitar with my left.
Simultaneous drums and keys were only possible because of the setup of my drums. I had mounted them on a tubular steel frame, sometimes referred to as "The Beast", that was approximately six-foot tall, six-foot deep, and eight-foot wide.
I bought two electronic keyboards, one full-size and one miniature, and mounted the full-size to my left nearly vertical and the mini to my right. I later added another full-size keyboard directly in front just beyond my toms.
Eventually, I had seven pedals I was working with my feet, twelve acoustic drums, thirteen electronic triggers, seven cymbals, and the three keyboards. It was quite challenging! I briefly experimented with hanging a guitar from "The Beast" so I could play guitar and drums simultaneously. I realized, though, that I would be hauling and setting up more equipment than Mark and Scott combined and abandoned that idea.
UF-How long have you played keyboards?
RF-I was about eight or nine when I began. I was ten when I heard Bloodrock's "D.O.A." for the first time and snuck out to the piano late at night to learn to play it. My parents were not pleased, as I woke them.
UF-What led to the band breaking up?
RF-Originally, I couldn't deal with Scott anymore. He had lost all interest in making music. Mark and I had left him behind, musically, and he didn't seem to want to try to catch up.
Later, Mark and I got back together with a new bassist. We played several shows and wrote some new songs. Then the bassist practically vanished.
Sometime after that, we were offered a show in Germany and, as the arrangements were made without my schedule being considered, I was unable to go. Mark decided to take a replacement and, in protest, I resigned.
UF-How did you feel about it at the time?
RF-Angry and belittled. I still feel much the same.
UF-Would you ever rejoin Mark in MANILLA ROAD?
RF-I doubt it. I believe Mark feels the same.
UF-How come the next album "Circus Maximus" was touted as a MANILLA ROAD album when the fans knew that the band had broken up?
RF-That was a request from Black Dragon. They felt that they would sell more copies if it was released as a Manilla Road album.
UF-Were you upset that the MANILLA ROAD name was used,even though you didn't play on the record?
RF-At that time there was no Manilla Road so I had no concerns over the use of the name.
UF-Did Mark Shelton ever try to re-unite the band with you and Scott Park?
RF-No. It was after the Circus Maximus project that I brought Mark into a group in which I was working. That started us talking and led us to finding a new bassist.
UF-How do you feel about the "new" MANILLA ROAD?
RF-I've not heard them. I doubt I will. I really have no interest.
UF-Were you contacted to play on the new album?
RF-The new album is similar in origin to the Circus Maximus project. It was not intended to be a Manilla Road album. It was going to be released as "Shark", which is Mark's nickname. It was only after I resigned that it was decided to release it as a Manilla Road album.
UF-How do you feel about te clasic MANILLA ROAD albums being re-released?
RF-I'm glad they're making them available again. The most common question I get in fan mail is "Where can I get a copy of....". I've not had any easier access than the fans for getting copies, so I haven't been able to help.
UF-Do you think that MANILLA ROAD will always be considered a "cult" band?
RF-I'm afraid so. The metal scene is so much smaller than it used to be. I don't see the band achieving any higher popularity than we had in the eighties.
UF-Do you think the band would have had the same feeling and atmosphere if you had signed to a larger label?
UF-Absolutely, yes! Nothing, including "Out of the Abyss", was ever contrived. Everything we ever did, during my tenure, was from the heart! I don't think we could have done any different music.
I mention "OotA" because I have read several theories that we were forced, either by others or by a member of the band, to make that change. That was not the case.
UF-What have you been up to since the break-up of MANILLA ROAD all those year ago?
RF-I have a home studio and have been recording my own songs and the occasional cover song for fun. It's not very similar to Manilla Road, so I doubt I'll pursue releasing it.
UF-Have you been playing in any bands since the break-up?
RF-Not since the final break up, which occurred about a year ago. I just record solo. I perform the guitar, bass, drums, keys, and vocals.
UF-What do you think about todays metal scene?
RF-I don't see much of a metal scene these days.
UF-Do you think MANILLA ROAD would be more appreciated now than you were when the band existed?
RF-I don't think so.
UF-What were some of your best and worst memories of the band?
Best: any show we played.
Worst: the business aspect and the final breakup.
UF-Do you have any regrets about being in MANILLA ROAD?
RF-Not really, no.
UF-What were some of your favorite MANILLA ROAD songs?
RF-"The Prophecy", "From Beyond", "Dementia", "Witches' Brew", "Mystification", "Return of the Old Ones", "Into the Courts of Chaos", "Whitechapel", "Hammer of the Witches", "Up from the Crypt", and a great many that were never recorded.
UF-What was your favorite MANILLA ROAD album that you were involved with?
RF-The Courts of Chaos
UF-What would your work in MANILLA ROAD to be remembered for?
RF-I would hope it would be it's originality. I always wanted every album and every song to be different from everything before it. I just didn't see the point of doing the same thing again.
UF-Is there a way for any MANILLA ROAD fans to contact you through e-mail and snail mail?
RF-They can email me at " thrasher@southwind.net ". Keep in mind, though, that I'm not in touch with Mark and I don't know anything about what he's doing now. I'd be glad to answer any questions otherwise.
UF-Do you have a website for either any new projects or MANILLA ROAD?
RF-No.
UF-Thank you for this oppurtunity. Any final comments for those reading this interview?
RF-Thanks for the support over the years. That and the music is what kept us going.
Be true to yourself and follow your heart. No regrets.
-Interview by Chris O'Brien
Discography-Randy
