IMPALER have been splattering stages with blood and making the music scene cringe in terror since the early eighties...and they are still going strong. Like their song says...IT WON'T DIE...and until IMPALER have diemboweled you with their sonic onslaught,they won't die. Record labels couldn't stop them. Stores banning their products couldn't stop them. The United States government couldn't stop them. Bill Lindsay and Tom Croxton were kind enough to answer my questions (sorry about the delay in posting this guys...alot of bullshit going on with work and stuff.)...so read about the band,check out their records,and see for yourself why they CANNOT die.
Interview by - Chris O'Brien
C.O.-What was it like growing up in Minnesota? How did you develop a love for music,wrestling, and horror films? (I love the same things.)
B.L.-Minnesota is nice...it has a change of seasons, but sometimes it gets too cool in the winter months. I don't know really how the love for these things developed i always watched wrestling with my grandpa on Saturday evenings. The old classic and violent 60's and 70's stuff...that made a big impression on me. Horror films and monsters and Halloween were just exciting things to me, and music came from my father. He is a guitarist and song writer in his spare time. He tried to push old school country on me but I found the rock stations.
C.O.-What made you want to form a band? Who were the bands main musical influences? Was it hard to find people to join you in this band?
B.L.-As soon as I heard Slade's "Mama We're All Crazy Now" and Alice Cooper's "Schools Out", I knew I had to be in a band...it was like giving me drugs or something. I could'nt get enough of it. I think every person forming a band goes though the process of finding the right people. It took a while and has been an on going process until this line up which i think is the best!!
C.O.-What made you guys choose the name IMPALER? When did you play your first concert? How was it different from your shows today?
B.L.-I read a book about vlad the impaler and thought what a cool word impaler was. Then I wrote a song called "Impaler" and decided to use it for the band name. Our first show was in the summer of 1983 at place that doesn't exsist anymore called the Upper Deck in Minneapolis. The show was very much like it is today very theatrical and heavy. We got alot of attention right away because we were so different. I still have pictures from the first shows.
C.O.-Did you guys try to replace Mike Senn after he left the band? Did you want to stay a four piece? How did the band progress after his departure?
B.L.-The chemestry was just right after Senn departed and we just left it that way. We got alot of songs written and a record deal after Senn was gone. He did come back for a short while after "If We Had Brains..." came out but it just wasn't meant to be.
C.O.-What were the early demos like? How was the sound on them? What were the songs like? Are there any plan to re-use those songs on a new album or re-record them for a cd?
B.L.-The early demos were recorded in a guy's basement studio with matresses around us to buffer the bleed from the other intruments. They were used to get shows and then got out to the tape trading community. That's how combat got wind of Impaler.
C.O.-Eventually, you guys got signed to Combat. How long was the contract for? How much of a budget did they give you to record "Rise of the Mutants"? Why was the EP released ion I.D.R.?
B.L.-I can't remember too much about the contract except that we would have signed it regardless...I mean Combat was the biggest independent at that time. We already had "Mutants" recorded and they just put it out. I.R.D. was the sister label of Combat to try new stuff out. "Brains" was fully paid for by the label.
C.O.-Was the budget for the first full-length album "If We Had Brains" any larger than the one for "Rise..."? How did Bob Mould (of Husker Du) wind up producing the album? What made you guys want to do the cover of "Search and Destroy"?
B.L.-Bob Mould came out to see our first shows with the rest of Husker Du. Then they had us open for the first night of their Metal Circus tour in Minneapolis. We covered "Search and Destroy" because Iggy and the Stooges are the baddest mother fuckers alive!!!
C.O.-Who did the band tour with on the Brainless Mutants tour? Where there any shows from the tour that stick out in your mind as being great/horrible?
B.L.-We toured by ourselves with minimal production. Some of the best shows were with Nasty Savage down in Florida, with Halloween in Cinncinati and with Seduce in Detroit. Those were awesome shows!!!
C.O.-What happened between the band and Comabt Records? Was the band being ripped off? Who showed interest in the band after you severed ties with Combat?
B.L.-Combat wasn't living up to their end of the bargain so we asked to leave. It all worked out fine. Combat folded shortly after we left.
C.O.-Why did "Meaty Bob" leave? Who were his replacements?
B.L.-Bob left a couple of times over the years. Once he was asked to leave and once he left. it was mostly personality differences. Ken Lamere, Erin Ryan, Terry Ingram, Ron Barna, Mike Robertson and now Tom Croxton.
C.O.-What happened with the next album,"Wake Up Screaming",being released by Channel 83? How did they come into the picture? Did they put any money into the record/ Was the band happy with the final product as far as packaging and sound went?
B.L.-They are a local Twin Cities label. After being screwed out of a few deals by management we just put it out with black and white art nothing like we had envisioned. It has some great songs on it that we still play today but it is probably my least favorite...I listen to it the least.
C.O.-What was Daddy Raw? Why did you decide to put IMPALER on hiatus? Did Daddy Raw record anything or play shows? Were the fans as enthusiastic about this band as they were about IMPALER?
B.L.-Mike Torok and I were moving apart musically. I really love hard edge and raw music. I always have and always will. Mike really was getting away from that and writing stuff I could not relate to. Daddy Raw was born out of songs that John Stratinger and I had been writing and that was the direction I wanted to go, so we recorded a couple of demos and played quite a few local shows. One song was released on a local comp called "Moshing Pit". We still played alot of Impaler songs in our set too.
C.O.-How long did IMPALER go on hiatus? Did you even plan to bring IMPALER back?
B.L.-About two years, if that. It was always my intention to bring Impaler back in some shape or form. When we split from each other I said let's put it on ice for a little while and that was how we left it.
C.O.-Dumb question here...but why did the original line-up of IMPALER reform for the Halloween show in 1994. Was there a huge turn-out for the show? How long did the original member re-union last?
B.L.-We started talking and Halloween was coming so we decided to get together. Everyone was doing their new projects so it was really laid back but very exciting too. The response was great! We packed the club on the same night that Ace Frehely was playing in town...i was amazed!! We played a St Valentine's Day Massacre the following Febuary and that was it. Mike did not want to play metal at that time and Court was in school and didn't have any free time and Meaty....well, he was still Meaty. so i decided to press on with a new line up.
C.O.-How did you find Erik Allyn and Nikki Nickoles? What was the band Iron Fist like? How did you convince them to join IMPALER? How did you find Ron Barna to complete the "new" IMPALER line-up?
B.L.-Iron Fist was a hard core punk band that use to play with us in the 80's. We hung out and liked alot of the same music so it was a logical choice. It was'nt hard to convince them because they were fans of Impaler and knew what we were all about. Ron was the drummer of another project that Erik was nvolved in.
C.O.-What songs were on the "Sonic Freakshow" demo? Were those songs more punk-influenced than the previous IMPALER output?
B.L.-I've always loved punk and metal and that is what I wanted to do was mix it more together. Early Impaler had a hardcore punk and metal feel to it. I think the newer sound is more old school punk and metal.
C.O.-What was the new stageshow like? Who were the Zombie Executioner,Dr Corpse,and the Bride of Imapler? Were people starting to go to your shows just to see the theatrics?
B.L.-People always come to a show to see a band. They just see more with a band like Impaler. Zombie Executioner, Dr.Corpse, and the Bride are some dead people we know.
C.O.-Why did some larger chain stores refuse to carry the next album "Undead Things"? Why did you decide to release it on your own label (Vlad Productions)? Did you guys shop the record around to try and get a larger label to carry it? Why did Nikki leave?
B.L.-Large chain stores are hypocrites and have their heads up their asses! We put it out ourselves to get a buzz going again. Nikki moved out east to be with family, so did Ron.
C.O.-Who is Earl Root and why did he put you guys in a studio to record "It Won't Die"?
B.L.-Earl owns a record shop here in Minnesota and has a radio show. He wanted to start a label and asked if we were interested because he was a fan and he was selling alot of "Undead Things" at his shop. He wanted a name band to jump start his label.
C.O.-"It Won't Die" is an excellent record...when did the band start to fuse punk and metal? Do you see IMPALER as a MISFITS for the new millenium?
B.L.-Thanks a lot for those kind words! Like I said, the punk influence has always been there. there is only one Misfits... I think you can take what you want...we're just Impaler, we have our own little universe that we live in surrounded by wrestlin', monsters and hard edge music.
C.O.-When did Tom Croxton join the band? You guys hit alot of the major U.S. metal fests to support the album (first time I saw you guys,in fact)...how did the fans re-act to the band?
B.L.-Tom joined three almost four years ago. The fans have reacted loudly!!!
C.O.-"One Nation Underground" is another excellent record. How long did it take you guys to write the songs? Why do you use movie samples before some of the songs?
B.L.-Thanks again! It was about a year. We like to plug cool movies, but it's getting over done now. On the new record we use different stuff and created some of our own sound effects.
C.O.-How would you like IMPALER to be remembered when the band's time is over?
B.L.-I like people to remember that they were entertained when they saw us and left with some blood on their shirts.
C.O.-Do you find that alot of people like the newer IMPALER material over the older material? Have older fans ever accused you of selling out because the material sounds so different?
B.L.-Yes and no, it's 50/50. The old stuff sells on Ebay all the time. People yell for old tunes like "Blood bath"...it's all Impaler.
No, i would kick them in the balls if they said that. or else they would be mentally retarded so i wouldn't kick them in the balls. I would redirect them with a balloon or shiny coin and send them on their way.
C.O.-Who does the make-up effects for the covers? Have you guys ever thought about making horror movies or short films to promote the band?
B.L.-Mark Lopez, and he is a dangerous man with latex! Yes we have and yes we will!
Here's what IMPALER's drummer Tom Croxton had to say about IMPLAER and his past.
C.O.-Where did you grow up? When exactly did you develop in interest in drumming? What was your first exposure to music that made you want to play the drums?
T.C.-I was born in Monmouth, Illinois and raised outside of the Quad Cities in Viola, Illinois. I became interested in drums when my Aunt gave me my cousin's old drum set at a very early age. I loved how loud and noisy they were, much to my parents' horror. It was listening to old Kiss Alive and Rush 2112 8-tracks over and over again that made me decide to take music seriously.
C.O.-What was the name of the band you did with your brother? Did you guys play shows or write original songs or anything like that? What did your brother do in the band?
T.C.-We started playing together around 1979 and called it Voyageur. We did mostly radio hard rock covers like Priest/Van Halen/Kiss/Nugent. Pretty much what was popular in the late 70's and early 80's. We had 3 original songs at the time before my brother Rich went into military service in 1984. He was the lead guitarist.
C.O.-What was your first exposure to bands like Judas Priest and Iron Maiden? How did you come to enjoy thrash metal?
T.C.-I've always been a fan of heavy music, listening to my older sisters playing Iron Butterfly and Deep Purple. We also had a heavy rock station that played a lot of Judas Priest around the British Steel era. Iron Maiden wasn't far behind, but I got into Maiden from the "Run To The Hills" and "Number Of The Beast" videos on early MTV. After that, getting into thrash/speed metal was simply a natural progression.
C.O.-What made you decide to leave for Minneapolis, Minnesota?
T.C.-Although there were heavy music fans back home, we always had to travel quite a distance to catch concerts. There was no local scene at all and it was difficult to find people to jam with, so when I was 19, I decided to leave town and see what happened. Chicago was too blues oriented for what I was looking for, so I checked out Minneapolis. Although I had no relatives here at all, I knew it was perfect!
C.O.-What was the band ACHERON? What kind of music did you guys play? Did you release any albums? How long did ACHERON stick around?
T.C.-I formed Acheron in late 1986 with a friend who ironically was from the same area I came from. We were around long before the Florida band with the same name. Acheron was originally sort of power metal, but it became a technical thrash machine that got a lot of respect on the local scene. We did 3 records but only 2 were released. They were "Prophecies Unholy", "The Pain Dominion" and "Darkroom Image" which unfortunately never got finished due to the band parting ways in 1996. It was a killer decade though!
C.O.-How did you hook up with The Unholy? What did you do with that band as far as releases and things like that go?
T.C.-The friend that I originally formed Acheron with had left the band in, I believe 1989. I had kept in touch with him all along and once Acheron broke up, his band the Unholy had lost their drummer, so there I was again! We did 2 CDs while I was here called "As Below, So Above" and "Ash Wednesday".
C.O.-How did you come to join IMPALER?
T.C.-This is a story that I've always found humorous. The Unholy used to open for Impaler every now and then, so I got to know Bill somewhat from that, but it wasn't until a Kiss concert that me and a friend went to where I had two extra tickets. He was filming an Impaler documentary at the time, so we invited Bill and Brad. During the trip, I had found out that the previous drummer had just left, so I expressed my interest...and here I am thanks to Kiss!
C.O.-Who influences you as far as drummers go?
T.C.-The main ones are Neil Peart (Rush), Tommy Aldridge (Ozzy , etc.), Mark Zonder (Fates Warning). There are many others, but these are high ranking faves.
C.O.-Does Impaler have any new albums coming out soon? Since you joined the band, how many songs have you written with the band?
T.C.-We have recently finished the new CD "Old School Ghouls" slated for a Halloween release. The writing process is very democratic. Brad usually brings in the riffs for a whole song idea but we all write our respective parts independently, so the songs evolve with the band's input. I have basic guitar understanding so I have brought 2 song ideas to the band which both made the records. Erik adds his from time to time as well and Bill writes all the lyrics.
C.O.-Where you an IMPALER fan before you joined them? How many of the old songs did you have to learn for concerts and things like that?
T.C.-Actually, I was a longtime fan! Being the Thrash fan that I am, I bought everything that was on Megaforce and Combat Records. Impaler was on Combat Records in the mid 80's, so I had "If We Had Brains...We'd Be Dangerous" while I still lived in Illinois.
We still do a lot of classics so I learned a heap of old songs when I joined. They were very cool in letting me play them my own way, so I do them differently then the previous drummers, making them my own songs.and not verbatim cover songs.
C.O.-Do you have any side projects outside of IMPALER?
T.C.-I still have a thrash project with my younger brother Dave called Krepitus that has been around for about 4 years. We have been working on a CD recently that should be available soon as well.
C.O.-Thanks for the interview guys...any final words?
T.C.-Thanks for helping us keep underground Metal alive! For the fans, thanks for all the support! We will be seeing you soon! You can check out the website at www.impalershockrock.com
DISCOGRAPHY
Rise of the Mutants E.P.-Combat 1984
If We Had Brains...-Combat 1986
Wake Up Sreaming-Channel 83-198?/9?
Undead Things-Vlad Productions-199?
It Won't Die-Root of all Evil 1998
One Nation Underground-Root of all Evil 2000
Old School Ghouls-COMING SOON!
LINKS
