INTERVIEW WITH GUITARIST GEOFF THORPE

VICIOUS RUMORS are one of the best pure metal bands still around today. The band has put the tragic loss of their singer and major label politics aside to keep bashing out what their die-hard fans want to hear... uncomprimising melodic power metal. Guitarist Geoff Thorpe answered the questions thrown to him by Anthony DeLuca. Enjoy!

U.F.-Trace back, if possible, to the very beginnings of the band. How was it formed, and who came up with the name?

G.T.-I formed the band in late 1979. (that's right, the 70's!!) I'm older than dirt and proud of it!! I picked Vicious Rumors because I wanted a name with some mystery in it. And it's perfect for the music biz.

U.F.-The debut album, “Soldiers of the Night” contained quit an interesting line-up. What are your thoughts on this essential stepping-stone of the band’s career, and how were its sales?

G.T.-The "Soldiers" album definitely launched the band on an international level. It was a stepping- stone to what the band became in the years following. That album sold about 140,000 copies worldwide and is considered to be a metal classic of the mid 80's - I'm very proud of that!

U.F.-After “Soldiers...”, some line-up changes occured. None-the-less, Vicious Rumors carried on and released the classic “Digital Dictator”. How was the recording process for this album, and was the new line-up warmly accepted by the fans?

G.T.-Our second album, "Digital Dictator", was our first album with Carl Albert and Mark McGee. That lineup stayed together for 9 years. We recorded the album in three weeks. The fans loved our new lineup! And Carl Albert became a "God" amongst metal and rock singers!!

U.F.-This was, in fact, V.R.’s first opportunity to play in Europe. How did this go over with the band and the fans? What are your memories of this; any significant stories that come to mind?

G.T.-I was so excited to play the Aardshock Festival. It was our first huge festival show. The band totally kicked ass!! And the reviews were great!! I remember after the show, our bus driver backed into Megadeath's bus. Luckily, no one was hurt and no damage done. Dave Mustaine and the rest of the guys were always cool to us and Marty and I are old friends. We played together 4 times after that.

U.F.-At this point, V.R. was signed to its first major record company, Atlantic. How did this work out? Do you feel they did all they could to push & support the band? G.T.-Yes, we did sign with Atlantic for our 3rd, 4th, and 5th albums. It was a dream to be on the same label as Led Zeppelin and AC/DC. But we never got much support from them. It doesn't matter what label you're on, it's if the label believes in you enough to support you - that's what's important!!

U.F.-V.R. then saw the release of the spectacular self-titled album. What are your thoughts on this album, and why was its name changed from “Immortal Battalion”?

G.T.-We called the first Atlantic album, "Vicious Rumors", because we felt this was the breaking point for the band and we wanted to push the name. I'm very proud of all our records. From this one, we made our first MTV video, "Don't Wait for Me". That was really exciting!!

U.F.-Next, we see the release of “Welcome to the Ball” in 1991. How was this album received by the fans (sales,reactions)? How did V.R. hook up with Savatage for this tour in Europe?

G.T.-"Welcome to the Ball" was a huge album for us! W e toured for 5 months straight - our fans loved it. It was during the power metal "hayday". Our manager at the time used to work with Savatage, so he hooked us up with them. That was a super strong package. We got into a bus accident on that tour and would have had to cancel half way into it, but Savatage invited us to finish the tour on their bus. It was very crowded ... I have a lot of respect for them. Most bands would not have been so generous. As you know, years later they lost Chris ... and we lost Carl - they will never be forgotten!!!!!

U.F.-What are your proudest moments from the sold-out tour in Japan?

G.T.-That Japan tour was incredible! We sold out all our merchandise on the second show. Mark and I stayed up for 2 days to mix the live album and played 2 concerts for the, "Plug in and Hang On" album. The fans camped out and waited for us at the airport and train stations - it was something else! The proudest moment was when 60 fans showed up at the hotel and they were all there for us! Kurt Kobane (spelling?) and Nirvana were staying at the same hotel. When they walked in the lobby, our crowd mobbed them and about 30 seconds later the crowd dispersed.? When I asked one of the fans what happened, they told me, "We thought they were Vicious Rumors." So, for 15 minutes we were more popular than Nirvana in Osaka, Japan in 1992!!

U.F.-It was that same year in which Geoff developed carpal tunnel syndrome. As a result, benefit concerts were played to aid in his recovery. How were these shows? Did the band play with only one guitarist?

G.T.-That was a scary time! I wasn't sure if I'd be able to play guitar anymore. A lot of friends and fans came out to support me - it was very nice and helpful too. The band (VR) did not play, a bunch of other local bands did. They were fun shows, considering the situation.

U.F.-At this point in time, Dave Starr parted from the band. Seeing he was in the band so many years, one wonders what happened.

G.T.-Dave told us he didn't like the new material (Word of Mouth) and that this would be his last album. He was very depressed all the time. We wanted to do some new tunings (D and C sharp) and he was fighting us on everything we wanted to do. I had been a referee between him and Larry for 9 years, they hated each other. Larry was more important to us and more cooperative, so we finally fired Dave Starr in 1993.

U.F.-“Word of Mouth” is released in 1994, in which the band playes the “Dynamo Festivle”. How was this show, and all the European dates afterwards?

G.T.-The "Word of Mouth" album was the first time we toured Europe twice in one year. We did 3 summer festivals with Accept, Kreator, Axis and Thunderhead. The we did the "Ultimate Power Force" tour with Metal Church, VR, Killers and Zodiac Mind Warp - life was really good!

U.F.-Shortly after, “Something Burning” was released, showcasing a different sound to V.R. What made you choose this musical direction? It was that same year that Carl Albert passed away due to an automobile accident. Through several auditions, no one seemed to fit V.R.’s style. He truly was a major structure of the band (and is missed greatly). Geoff took vocal duties afterwards for “Something Burning”. Was this an easy task, playing guitar and singing at the same time? How did this touring experience work out for the band?

G.T.-Carl and I had already chosen this direction together. In fact, Carl helped write almost half the material on that album. And then he passed away. After 5 months of auditioning singers, I took over on vocals myself. We were really shaken up about Carl!! It was very difficult for me to get used to doing both guitar and vocals, but it helped me to move on with life.

U.F.-It was at this point where V.R. made an appearence at the March Metal Meltdown in New Jersey. I caught that show, which blew me away (thank you)!!!!! How did you feel playing to that crowd? What was it like playing the metalfest (I hear conditions are bad and very expensive)?

G.T.-That show was a trip! There was so much death metal, I wasn't sure how we would go over, but we kicked ass and people dug it! I don't think we have ever had a bad crowd response live. VR is a "live" band!!

U.F.-In 1998, the spectacular “CyberChrist” was released with new front-man Brian O’Connor. What inspired you to return to a more classic sounding V.R.? How did the band hook up with Blind Guardian for this tour? Any significant memories?

G.T.-Cyberchrist was definitely the beginning of a return to a more melodic sound, but all of the albums are a reflection of the members in the band and the time period they were made in! Blind Guardian invited us to join their tour; we were very flattered. It was a fantastic tour. Blind Guardian said we got the best crowd response of any band that had ever opened for them. They're a great bunch of guys; I hope to tour with them again soon!

16. Now with November approaching, V.R. is set to play the metalfest in California (good luck). Any US tour plans?

G.T.-The Metalfest was a really good gig! Again, I wasn't sure how we would go over with all of the death and black metal, but the crowd really loved us. We will be on a 2001 "Sadistic Symphony" world tour starting in March 2001!!

U.F.-Looking back at this lengthy carrer, can you think of any left-over B-Sides or unreleased material lying around? What videos, if any, have V.R. produced? Any plans on releasing them on a compilation?

G.T.-Not really. Nothing I release anyway.

U.F.-The newest album, “Sadistic Symphony” is set to be released in May of 2000. What can we expect from this album?

G.T.-Our new album, "Sadistic Symphony", will be released worldwide on January 24, 2001 on Perris Records (USA), Point Music (Europe) and JVC (Japan). I will be introducing a brand new line up - Geoff Thorpe (guitar, vocal), Morgan Thorn (lead vocals), Ira Black (guitar, vocals), Cornbread (bass) and Scott Trembly (touring drummer). I just got back from a promotional tour of Germany. The new CD has received "outstanding" reviews, with an overall average rating of 8.5 out of 10, so far. The songs are full of melodies and hooks. Full melodic power, including guest appearances by Mark McGee (VR, Greg Allman), James Murphy (Testament, Death) and Atma Anur (David Bowie, Journey, etc.) Morgan Thorn's voice is "monsterous', full of power and passion! There is also a ton of cool guitar solos. It's right up there with the "best of" Vicious albums!

U.F.-Of all the bands you’ve played/toured with, which one was the most memerable? From all the bands you’ve never played/toured with, which one(s), if any, would you like to play/tour with?

G.T.-The most memorable bands we've played with are: Mettalica, Ted Nugent, Rainbow, UFO, Thin Lizzy, Savatage, Motley Crew, Death Angel, Metal Church, Killers, Zodiac Mindwarp, Paul Stanley, Armored Saint, King Diamond, Badlands, Megadeath, Accept, Blind Guardian, Dokken, Steppenwolf, A.W.B., Blue Oyster Cult, Joe Satriani, Forbidden and Testament. The bands i would want to tour with are: Led Zeppelin, AC/DC, Kiss, Black Sabbath and Judas Priest or Rob Halford's new project.

U.F.-That’s about it. Thank you VERY much for this interview; it was an honor and a privilage. I hope it didn’t repeat itself in any way. Any closing comments, or something I missed?

G.T.-Thank you for all your support and to the VR fans worldwide - YOU RULE!!! You can expect 1000% from us on tour in 2001. We invite you to listen to soundclips from every song on our upcoming CD, "Sadistic Symphony", at our web site www.viciousrumors.com - our email address is rumors@viciousrumors.com.

Interview conudcted by Anthony DeLuca-Unstoppable Force

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