Q: Hello SLAB, how are things going for you?
A: Unusually good, thanks!
Q: First of all, can you tell us who SLAB are?
A: SLAB is Jake – Guitar/Vox, ‘Big’ Jim – Bass, Andy ‘Kimbo’ – Drums
Q: SLAB, it’s an interesting name. Where does it come from?
A: To be honest Kimbo had always wanted to play in a band called SLAB! When his and Jims’ old band (BLOWN) fell apart and I started jamming with them, I suppose it was the opportunity he’d been waiting for! It’s more by luck than judgement that it actually suits the music, as in, it sounds like getting a slab in the face haha!
Q: Who would you consider your biggest influences on your song writing & sound?
A: Killing Joke, Refused, Tool, Sepultura, The Cure.The three of us all come from very different musical backgrounds but these few bands are the main ones, with a couple of them being shared influences. Lyrically I can never get enough of Serj Tankian’s writing, so powerful.
Q: Do you guys have any records out? And if yes, where can people get these records?
A: We do. We have our debut album, ‘Betray the past, Infect the future’ out through Meltdown Records. It gets an official release at the end of October. It’ll be availabe in HMV, Virgin and UK independents. Also Play.com, HMV.com etc etc Obviously we also sell ‘em at gigs! You can download tracks from mp3.com as well.
Q: You guys have a logo with the infinity sign, does it have a special meaning for you guys, or did you just like it?
A: Eh? Someone told us it was an Infantile sign!? Nah, a friend designed it for us and we loved it. We could go into the ‘timeless quality of our music and friendships’, but that would be boring!
Q: If you had to describe the genre of music you make, how would you describe it?
A: Tough one, maybe – Extreme progressive melodic metal hardcore.. Real hardcore though, none of that whining, singing shit.
Q: How do you see the future for this genre of music, and for yourselves in particular?
A: We invented it. We have infected the future.
Q: What is the most exciting thing that you as a band have experienced?
A: So far, supporting Onslaught was a blast, also working with the Meltdown Records guys and recording the album at Hellfire studios. All great experiences, just playing the music we love as loud as we can!
Q: Are there, currently, any interesting developments going on involving SLAB?
A: Well our album coming out in October with Meltdown, there’s been talk of us getting on a Napalm Death tour next year, we’re doing our own D.I.Y tour of Europe next year, hopefully along with some festivals.. Sounds exhausting haha!
Q: What websites can people go to when they want to get to know more about SLAB?
A: www.ontheslab.co.uk, www.myspace.com/ontheslab, www.mp3.com
Q: If you could pick any one band or artist that you could tour with, who would it be? And why?
A: We’re gonna pick two, ‘cos it’s a fantasy, and we can! Tool, and Sepultura (Classic line-up).
Q: Okay a few random questions now.
Q: Day or night?
A: Day.
Q: Club venue or arena venue?
A: Club.
Q: CDs or digital music?
A: Cd’s, better quality. More soul..
Q: Okay, last question. What are your thoughts on people downloading music, both legally and illegally?
A: It’s a fact. It’s ruined some peoples livelyhoods but it’s here to stay. To be honest it’s a good thing, it’s blown the industry wide open and if it leads to genuine interest (and actual funding) to the artist, who can complain?
Thanks a lot for the interview, it’s been a pleasure talking to you guys.
A: Unusually good, thanks!
Q: First of all, can you tell us who SLAB are?
A: SLAB is Jake – Guitar/Vox, ‘Big’ Jim – Bass, Andy ‘Kimbo’ – Drums
Q: SLAB, it’s an interesting name. Where does it come from?
A: To be honest Kimbo had always wanted to play in a band called SLAB! When his and Jims’ old band (BLOWN) fell apart and I started jamming with them, I suppose it was the opportunity he’d been waiting for! It’s more by luck than judgement that it actually suits the music, as in, it sounds like getting a slab in the face haha!
Q: Who would you consider your biggest influences on your song writing & sound?
A: Killing Joke, Refused, Tool, Sepultura, The Cure.The three of us all come from very different musical backgrounds but these few bands are the main ones, with a couple of them being shared influences. Lyrically I can never get enough of Serj Tankian’s writing, so powerful.
Q: Do you guys have any records out? And if yes, where can people get these records?
A: We do. We have our debut album, ‘Betray the past, Infect the future’ out through Meltdown Records. It gets an official release at the end of October. It’ll be availabe in HMV, Virgin and UK independents. Also Play.com, HMV.com etc etc Obviously we also sell ‘em at gigs! You can download tracks from mp3.com as well.
Q: You guys have a logo with the infinity sign, does it have a special meaning for you guys, or did you just like it?
A: Eh? Someone told us it was an Infantile sign!? Nah, a friend designed it for us and we loved it. We could go into the ‘timeless quality of our music and friendships’, but that would be boring!
Q: If you had to describe the genre of music you make, how would you describe it?
A: Tough one, maybe – Extreme progressive melodic metal hardcore.. Real hardcore though, none of that whining, singing shit.
Q: How do you see the future for this genre of music, and for yourselves in particular?
A: We invented it. We have infected the future.
Q: What is the most exciting thing that you as a band have experienced?
A: So far, supporting Onslaught was a blast, also working with the Meltdown Records guys and recording the album at Hellfire studios. All great experiences, just playing the music we love as loud as we can!
Q: Are there, currently, any interesting developments going on involving SLAB?
A: Well our album coming out in October with Meltdown, there’s been talk of us getting on a Napalm Death tour next year, we’re doing our own D.I.Y tour of Europe next year, hopefully along with some festivals.. Sounds exhausting haha!
Q: What websites can people go to when they want to get to know more about SLAB?
A: www.ontheslab.co.uk, www.myspace.com/ontheslab, www.mp3.com
Q: If you could pick any one band or artist that you could tour with, who would it be? And why?
A: We’re gonna pick two, ‘cos it’s a fantasy, and we can! Tool, and Sepultura (Classic line-up).
Q: Okay a few random questions now.
Q: Day or night?
A: Day.
Q: Club venue or arena venue?
A: Club.
Q: CDs or digital music?
A: Cd’s, better quality. More soul..
Q: Okay, last question. What are your thoughts on people downloading music, both legally and illegally?
A: It’s a fact. It’s ruined some peoples livelyhoods but it’s here to stay. To be honest it’s a good thing, it’s blown the industry wide open and if it leads to genuine interest (and actual funding) to the artist, who can complain?
Thanks a lot for the interview, it’s been a pleasure talking to you guys.