Chuck, Texas
Mike I have a new USA Jackson Soloist with a Seymour Duncan Distortion on the Bridge. My question is what tuning do you mostly use on your Jackson? C#, Dropped C or Dropped D, etc? Also what size strings do you use for your tunnings?
MM: Hey Chuck. Nice choices in gear. As you know I’m a fan of Jackson/ Seymour Duncan combination as well. It depends on the tuning as to what I’m doing at the time. Halford music had all four - C#, Standard E, D and Drop D tunings. At times, I carried as many as 8 guitars with me on tour. My solo stuff is mostly D – meaning every string is tuned a whole step down. The best strings that I ever tried are D’addario, period. They last long, stay in tune great and are very consistent from pack to pack. For Regular (Standard) E tuning I use .009 to 0.046. For D (All Strings Down a Step) I use 0.10 to 0.52. For Drop D I use 0.009 to 0.046 and for C# (meaning whole guitar is a step and a half down) I use 0.10 to 0.52 set, but I change the 6th string out to something heavier like 0.56. If you play in dropped C, I would also use 0.10 set and exchange the last string to 0.56. I have come up with this system through trial and error, but it works.
Metal Angel, Hungary
Hello, I'm the Metal Angel - singer of Judas Beast. (Hungarian Halford Tribute Band) We're couple of fans here in Hungary too :) Are You gonna come to Budapest?
MM: Hi Metal Angel. I would love to come and play Hungary again. Last time I was there was in 2004 and it was a lot of fun. I love that entire part of the world. We will see how things work out. You can count on the fact that if there are opportunities, I will take them to play your beautiful country again. Keep the faith!
Tory Olson, Minneapolis
The two Halford releases you were part of are by far and away two of my favorite metal releases. Live Insurrection is a favorite on my iPod, and now recently I picked up Metal For Life by PM, it too is a constant over my speakers. Metal music may not get the airtime it once did, but it is far and away the music that will be the least influenced by modern rock or "nu metal". Keep doing what you do guys, loving it!
MM: Thanks for taking the time to write in Tory. It is obvious why I enjoy reading your e-mail, but I am also very happy that there are so many metal maniacs still really digging into metal albums and living the metal over and over on their speakers. Reading letters like yours makes me psyched to continue doing the best that I can.
Tim, New York
Hey Mike. I just wanted to ask you what were your influences to pick up the guitar? People say that you have to know your influences to know yourself as a player.
MM: Thanks for the e-mail Tim. I grew up as a guitar player when nimb fingered raging guitar heros were on the covers of Guitar World and magazines such like it. We are talking about the 80’s. So, I must say that the guitarists that made the biggest difference in me developing as a musician are Yngwie Malmsteen, Steve Vai, Marty Friedman, Paul Gilbert and Tony MacAlpine. Those are the guitar heros. Additionally I also got into Gary Moore and Stevie Ray Vaughan. But with that said, I was a big fan of bands as well. I really liked, and still do like music from the late 80’/90’s speed metal/ thrash scene and several albums from that time helped shape my style. These included “Peace Sells…But Who’s Buying?” by Megadeth, “The New Order” by Testament, “Taking Over” by Overkill, “Ride The Lightning” by Metallica, “Symbolic” by Death, “Heartwork” by Carcass and many more. So, I suppose that I like the combination of the guitar hero stuff mixed with fast, riff based aggressive music.
Rob Hill, Ohio
Your guitar playing is staggering, unbelievable, shredding, badass, totally metal !!!!!! (Can you tell that I am a fan?) I have every release that you have contributed to or put out as a solo artist. In an odd sense of irony, I have realized that you are European, yet you wrote “American Metalhead”! What was the inspiration behind the song?
MM: Hey – thanks for the kind words Rob! I appreciate it. Yes, I was born in Europe - to be exact Poland. However, United States is my home now. My inspiration behind American Metalhead is an interesting one. I kept hearing from fans how great other parts of the world are for metal and how crappy the US scene is compared to many other countries. I kept hearing complaints from fans that we did not have enough metal festivals here and things like that. So, I wrote “American Metalhead”. This song is filled with a message that we, I mean Americans, should be proud to be metalheads, that we should unite to strenghten the scene and just plainly look within us, because United States was always producing fantastic metal bands and has some of the most amazing fans. So we are talking 2004 here. But now, in 2009 look at us now! We have several metal festivals and metal bands are touring non-stop - American and from a far. Heavy metal is thriving in the US – let’s keep it going!
John, Russia
As an artist, what attracts you specifically to the metal genre? What do you feel this genre gives you the power to express as a guitarist that other genres do not?
MM: Hi John. Thanks for writing. For me becoming a metal guitar player was the simplest choice I ever had to make. It was metal or nothing at all and I still feel the same way today as I did the day I decided to learn how to play the instrument. I just love Heavy Metal. The power, strength and unity among its fans are unmatched by other styles of music. The surge of energy you experince when playing or listening to metal exceeds anything out there. At least for me personally. If it was not for metal I would probably not even be a guitar player, that's how much I like it. Metal shows are extremely exciting and even the smell of smoke machines or pyro strikes such a chord with me that I can not wait to go out there and kick ass live. Partly this is why I feel that I am succesful at being a musician as my goals and my passion were always very clear to me. This genre gives me the power to fully express what is inside my heart and my mind. Hope that helps.
Gernot Elmer, Austria
Hello Metal Mike!! I saw you on the Nova Rock festival in Austria with Sebastian Bach a month ago and I was really blown away from your guitar playing!! I play guitar too, and I admire tricky guitar heroes, who still have elements of the classic styles from the 70's/80's. Now I got a new one in line!!!!! I got some questions for you, so here it comes. What was your first guitar and which bands/ guitarists mainly influenced you in playing guitar? What is your favorite guitar amplifier? And, my problem with playing sometimes is, that I don't stay in time correctly ... do you have any advice for me? Rock on, stay heavy and keep real music alive!!!!
MM: Hey Gernot. Thanks for writing and I appreciate your kind words. I am glad that you saw Nova Rock as it was a really killer festival and supporting Guns N Roses was awesome. To your questions. My first guitar was a cheap B.C. Rich "Bitch" copy. It had some really good vintage pick-ups and I still had that guitar until a few year ago, until it was stolen. I must say it was a great guitar to learn on. I have been influenced by many musicians. Some of them include Yngwie Malmsteen, Steve Vai, Randy Rhoads, Marty Friedman, Paul Gilbert, Gary Moore. I have been really influenced by several 80's/ 90's Thrash bands such as Megadeth, Testament, Overkill, Metallica, Death, Fight, Carcass but I also have been majorly into other artists such Ozzy, Loudness, Scorpions, EZO, David Lee Roth and a whole bunch of other stuff. I am even reluctant many times to give out lists such as above as it is almost impossible to narrow it down. My favorite amplifier is a Marshall, end of story there. Regarding improving your timing I would suggest jammig with the best drummer that you possibly can find. Additionally get an inexpensive drum machine and practice playing rhythms with it. Record yourself doing this and listen back. Listen where you are speeding up or down. Try again. You'll see that very often your timing will improve when playing with a steady beat.
Rob Hill, Alliance, Ohio
Mike, Killer album!! It cost me a lot of money to have Head Re-Attachment Surgery!! Unbelievable, sonically amazing, totally shredding! My question is: Can I please get a photo of your band? I'm not going to make it to the East Coast to catch a show.
MM: Hi Rob. Killer, I'm very happy that you are enjoying the PainmuseuM "Metal For Life" album. That's what I'm talking about. We occasionally have band photos mailed out as "Thanks" to people who send us inspiring e-mails, and you will get yours soon.
David Chavez, Texas
Let me say that PainmuseuM is absolutely amazing and your playing is out of this world. I have been trying to write some stuff for a metal band I'm starting. My problem isn't that I can't write anything. It's that none of my writing goes in the dirtection I want it to. For example, I recently tried to write a song with really heavy riffs and brutal vocals and I ended up with a 2 minute intrumental guitar piece. It sounds cool and everything, but it wasn't really what I was going for. Do you have any suggestions on how I can make my writing more consistent?
MM: Hi David. I know what you are saying and welcome to the craft of songwritting. It can certainly be challenging to write material that is together, sounds easily assembled and crafted without being too overthought. To help you I would suggest getting a basic idea of where you think your initial riffs might go. For example is your riff a good verse or a good chorus? Or maybe it is a really good busy part that might a strong bridge. Once you know where your initial idea fall, try to come up with another riff that will make sence when played after your initial one. If you by chance are coming up with riffs that are too busy or too slow or whatever for let's say a verse, then save those for another song and keep searching untill you find the perfect riff that will follow the one you already have. You might have a writing session that might get you beginning parts of 5 new songs. That's ok.
Just make sure that you realize that and do not stop untill you come up with a riff that will fit what you are looking for right now. Sometimes you have to think of a good riff, just sing it ... don't let your fingers and the guitar do all the work. That is the craft of writing songs. If all you do is put together songs made up of guitar riffs that naturally, without any effort came up to you and you just out them together, often (but not always) will have songs that lead you all over the place and not in the direction you naturally intended. If you think your song is not going in the place you wanted it to, stop right there, throw out the riffs that are misleading it and start again until you get it right. It is hard work sometimes, but that's the trick for sucess.
Christopher Jones, Tacoma, Washington
I was wondering how much you think a band should practice. We practice 3 to 4 times a week. I would like to practice more, but it is hard when your drummer is in the army.
MM: Hey Christopher. The amount of practice depends on what you are trying to achieve. Are you guys writing new songs? Maybe it is wise to write songs on your own if you don't have much luck writing them as a band, and then get together 3 or 4 times a week to put them together in band rehearsal. Are you guys preparing for a show? I would say practice as much as possible and go over your individual parts at night or at a day off. If that's your goal, then practice the songs your are to perform foremost. If there are new song ideas work on them after your show preparation rehearsal is done, or save them on a CD to work on later after your shows are done. One thing that I see very often that kills many bands is that they just simply get together for "practice". There is no goal that every one is going for. Bands get together play through the songs they know, maybe work on a new riff. Then everyone drinks a few beers and the session is done. They meet and they go through the same exact process next time. Weeks go by and they are still in the same place in 3 months. This leads to frustration and member changes. Before you know you ask yourself what the hell was I doing for the last 3 years. It is also important to surround yourself with like minded people for best results. Just as an example, if you wish for your band to become a professional full time occupation, spending time with hobbyists can be a waste of everyone's time.
Bart Brudzinski, British Columbia, Canada
Hi there Metal Mike. I heard your music from PainmuseuM and I have nothing to say about it ... the reason is I was blown away by your raw Metal sound. You are the best Metal band of today's age along with Children Of Bodom. You inspire me in so many ways like your riffs and killer solo melodies. How do you develop your style and make it sound something that you will love? My last question is how did you approach playing guitar? Did you play tabs as well to your fav tunes? Did you learn a lot of theory and how long have you been playing guitar?
MM: Thank you Bart. I can see that your Metal heart is in the right place, thanks for the sincere comments. To your questions. Developing your own style takes time, patience and the ability to not only to really listen to yourself play the guitar, but also to the things that you like doing on the guitar. Any guitarist that will go down in history has a unique thing to his or her style. Zakk has those squeal harmonics on the bottom two strings, Steve Vai uses certain modes such the Lydian one to get that un-mistaken Vai sound, Eddie Van Halen has his awesome phrasing and tapping technique. In my case, I realized that I was naturally good at delivering fluid leads that were both agressive and contained a good amount of melody. I also realized that I liked using the whammy bar to bring harmonics on the guitar to new screaming hights. One day, I realized that I do the above two things so often, that with little work and determination I could really make these thinsg work for me to develop my uniqe voice on the guitar. Having that my sound would be different from other guitar players, and that prompted me to go ahead and achieve that. Listen to your playing and your favorite guitarists and you will also find things you enjoy doing and hearing on the guitar. Developing your own voice takes time and maturity on the axe, but you will get there, just stick with it. To your other question, I have been playing guitar for close to 20 years and I have definitely have been using tabs to learn my favorie songs. I have spent many Summer days locked away in my room practicing songs that I liked, while all my friends were having fun in the sun. But that did not stop me. I have also studied music theory as much as I could, but I have never allowed that to decide what I ultimately will play on my guitar. In reality, I learned what I could theory wise, but when I play guitar now, I hardly think of it.
Eric Bastelak, Toronto, Canada
I am a lead singer and songwritter for An Evening Of Murder and we are having a hard time getting off the ground or even finding dedicated members to complete the band. I was wondering if you had any advice? Also is PainmuseuM gonna come to Toronto cause you guys are the whole reason we started writing.
MM: Hi Eric. Finding dedicated band members can be very tough. Beginning, or even professional bands struggle with this. I would recommend going to see other local acts in your area and perhaps asking their members to join your band, or at least help you out. Bring some small flyers and pass them out to people attending local shows or festivals. Visit your local music shops or music schools and spread the word. With little dedictaion and work you will find the right members that you are looking for. Also, there are many internet opportunities out there that can be helpful in getting the word out. One that comes to my mind is My Space. And, I am sure there are many others. Good luck. To your other question, PainmuseuM would love to come to play Canada again. Canadians sure love their Metal, so rest assured when the right opportunity presents itself, we definitely will take full advantage of it.
Frank Killian, Cheektowaga, NY
Your debut CD is one of the best Metal Cd's out there!! Saw Painmuseum in Rochester. Is PainmuseuM going to have a new CD by the new year?
MM: Hey Frank. PainmuseuM will do some more touring before we really get into a writing mode again, simply because we feel that we did not support our debut with enough live work. We will also take our pure brand of Metal into European territory later this year. With that said, we are putting together some rough ideas for the new album, but we have not decided on the recording time yet.
Primo Luciano, Brasil
Hi Mike. I just heard a rumor that you may be leaving Sebastian Bach after Brasilian shows to record with Halford? Is it true or false? I'm really looking forward to hearing You & Bach shred, so I hope it's false.
MM: Greetings Primo. No need to worry. Sebastian and I talked many times about doing his new album together and I'm still looking forward to part take in this recording.
Chris Jones, Chicago, IL
Hey Mike, my name is Chris and I was wondering how important you think theory is in constructing solos. I know some, but I usualy just use my ear. What do you do?
MM: Hey Chris. That's a good question and I'm sure many guitarists have similar ones. Well, foremost let me say that using your ear is the most important. I'd take a good ear over knowing every theory, and every scale and its application any day. Didn't Einstein say "Imagination is more important than knowledge?." I have put in some decent time into learning music theory and how everything is supposed to work together, so I use both. When I see the chord changes that I'm going to solo over, I quickly analyze them and see what scales, etc I can use over them, and I go for it. But, that is just a blueprint. Very often, I play things that are not correct by theory, but sound good to my ears. So in ending, I would say learn as much theory as you can, because it will give you more choices and options of where you could go with your solos and never forget to use your ears. I wrote a guitar book called "Ridiculous Riffs For The Terrifying Guitarist" where insane guitar licks are discussed with theory behind them and it shows a lot of light, in detail ... on how I approach this stuff.
Tato, Porto Alegre, Brasil
Hi Mike ... I saw your show with Sebastian Bach. You guys kick ass live .... I never went to a show like that ... that was awesome. You're a great person and the best metal guitarist I ever saw!! My question is: are you guys coming back to Porto Alegre - Brasil next year on a tour or something? Tace care, Tato.
MM: Hi Tato. Thank you for your very kind words. Brasilian audiences are incredible and I said that already in my tour diary found here at painmuseum.com. I loved touring Brasil and even though this was my second time in your beautiful country, it felt like the first. I sure do hope to come back to Porto Alegre and Brasil, because you guys rock your assess off!! I'm sure Baz will love to come back and kick some ass as well, so who knows .... you have a pretty good chance of seeing us again. Thanks again for making us feel so welcome. Metal For Life.
Neil Brasher, Birmingham, AL
What's up Mike. Brother, I wanna say thank good lord above for guys like you who are keeping the technical guitar playing alive and well. You are an awesome player. Now onto my question. I live in Birmingham, Alabama. Do you think you may do a show here in the future? If not, how about a guitar clinic?
MM: Hey Neil. Thanks for the e-mail. Well, as a band and for myself we would love to go and play somewhere in your area. There are chances for this. But, I can not tell you exactly when this will happen, however when we do you will know right away.
Eric Bastelak, Toronto, Canada
I am a Canadian and have just recently picked up the PainmuseuM debut album. It is incredible. I think I have discovered my favorite guitarist and his name is Metal Mike. And don't get me started on your vocalist. He is purely incredible, I'm amazed on what he can do with his voice. I am actually writing this as your song "Burn Flesh Burn" inspired me to write a song.
MM: Eric, that's what I'm talking about. We are all very happy that the album is making a great impact like this. Thank you for the kind words and PainmuseuM will never let you down. We will always play un-filtered Heavy Metal without compromise. Best of luck with your songs and music .... keep it True and Metal.
James Burroto, Geneva, NY
I saw you at the Steel Music Hall Shred Fest and you were killing it! Your sound was to die for. Other then the Marshall stereo power amp I couldn't make out what you were using on the floor as a pre amp. Can you tell me what you were using? Sounded unreal!
MM: Hi James. Thanks for the kind words. My live set-up is a Marshall JMP-1 Pre-Amp into a Marshall EL34/100 Power Amp. That's pretty much it. On the floor I just use a Wah and a tuner. I like my set up pretty straight forward. One thing that I did that was new for the Steel Music Halll show, is that I had cabinets at the Left and Right side of the stage. I liked the way that sounded and it allowed me to get a full sound wherever I stood on stage, and from watching me you can tell that I like to move around. I will do this again in the future.
Ed, Woonsocket, RI
Having seen the line-up for Sebastian Bach's 2005 touring band, I must ask ... any possibilities you guys might throw in a PainmuseuM song during one of his sets in Europe?
MM: Good question and your answer is Yes. We have been doing "American Metalhead", a song from PainmuseuM's Metal For Life album at each show. The response has been awesome.
John McGraw, PA
I just wanna say that Halford's Crucible has been one of my favorite albums lately, along with the album Resurrection! The guitars are super heavy on Crucible! I was wondering how you got your guitar tone on that album? Any advice for a Heavy Metal guitarist who's aspiring for success?
MM: Thanks! On that album you have a mix of several heads mixed together into this one wall of sound that you hear. There were few known brands like Mesa/ Boogie and a couple of others. When we were done, on my rhythm track, I added another take with just an old 50 Watt Marshall that was modified by one of the local LA guys. I think it was from 1971. I just can't make an album without a Marshall, as a record without a Marshall doesn't sound Metal to me. Advice? Well, if you ask me you really have to love and respect the music that you play. And, give it everything that you've got, because if you don't - somebody else is.
Charles Florio, Long Beach, NY
How can I get PainmuseuM XXL T-Shirt. The Cd kicks ass.
MM: The first line of the official PainmuseuM "Metal For Life" Anti Nu-Metal T-shirt is only available in L or XL. You might be in luck as with the Summer activities for the band, more merchandise
will be made available. We will try to get a few other sizes if possible.
George Hall, Houston, TX
Is there going to be an official Fan Club? If so, what can I do to join?
MM: The first step has been in place for quiet some time, and that's the FSMM (Forever Strong Metal Militia) Legions Sign-Up as found on this site. Each month we receive numerous e-mails from all over the world and these are kept in our use only database. We are currently in preparation to launch an official FSMM Fan Club that will offer killer exclusive fan only items, discounted concert tix and a lot more. Stay tuned for an official announcements. In the mean time, anyone interested send us an e-mail c/o the FSMM link and we'll keep you informed directly.
A. Aygun, Ankara, Turkey
Will the video of "Speak The Name" be available to watch from painmuseum.com?
MM: We will do our best to provide some sort of streaming version so everyone around the world can watch "Speak The Name". Stay tuned in the news section of this site for up-dates on this.
I know that there were rumors on possible PainmuseuM DVD release, can you give any clues about content and how soon the release will be?
MM: It is true that we started compiling footage for a future DVD. However, this release will not happen anytime soon. We need to keep spreading the Metal Militia forces worldwide, so once the DVD is released it will gurantee a label that is releasing it a great worldwide reception. So, while we are constantly compiling footage from my and PainmuseuM activities, you will have to wait for this.
Jarrod Chambers, Huntington Beach, California
What's up Mike? I only have one question, will PainmuseuM play Southern california in 2005? You know we have a lot of Metalheads down South, and we need some Pain-right-away.
MM: Playing Live is very important to everyone in this band and we always seek opprtunities that seem worthwhile for us. We have had offers to play Southern California, but scheduling, pairing of bands and some logistics did not make sense in the end. One thing I can confirm to you is that we are always looking to play Live. So, once we are in your area, I guarantee that you will get a kick ass show. Keep checking Live/ In Flesh area of the site for latest show and tour information.
Charles Ayala, New Jersey
Who is filling in the bass slot for Steve DiGiorgio in PainmuseuM?
MM: So far we had the priviledge of Joe Comeau (x-Overkill/ x-Annihilator) and Mike LePond from Symphony X fill in on different occasions. The core of the band is myself, Tim Clayborne and Bobby Jarzombek. No matter who is able to step in for future occassions, they will be of professional caliber. And, who knows chances are very real that you might see Joe or Mike help us out in the future as well. Both are incredible players and great human beings.
Steve Green, Tyrone, Georgia
Are there going to be any new PainmuseuM merchandise designs like new T-shirts?
MM: Yes. We are about to introduce a www.painmuseum.com web T-shirt and then we are also planning on making the famed PainmuseuM "Metal For Life" Anti Nu-Metal shirt in Girlie design. Future designs will also follow.
From Nick McGrath, Newfoundland, Canada
How did you approach playing Alex Skolnick's solos when you did the Testament tour? Alex has always been one of my heroes and I think it would be a daunting task to learn all these leads not for note, so did you do your own thing or stick to Alex's solos?
MM: I feel that Alex's solos in Testament are very important to the mood and success of many songs in the band's catalogue. So, Yes, I did stay extremely close to what Alex has played on each song. This is something that Chuck and Eric felt strongly about, and I was more than happy to finally learn the solos that I have been listening for years to. I also watched several Testament bootlegs to see how closely Alex played his own solos live, and as I suspected, he stayed very close to the original versions. I'm glad that I put in the work, as the results were appreciated by many Testament fans.
Eric, Pompton Plains, New Jersey
PainmuseuM ... heard the download on the site. Loved it. How many songs contain clean vocals compared to "death" vocals?
MM: There are clean vocals inter-woven throughout the album. One reason was that this approach brought out another dimension of the album and gave the listener a break mentally, after getting bludgeoned by the music non stop. Songs that have a significant amount of cleaner vocals are "Live & Die", "Bloody Wings", "American Metalhead", "Burn Flesh Burn". It is also important to note that the "death' type vocals on this album are not the typical cookie monster growls, but are more of a classic aggressive approach reminiscing of incredible records by Death, Venom, Testament or late Carcass. You can preview the entire PainmuseuM album at www.cdbaby.com/metalmike.
A. Aygun, Ankara, Turkey
Are there any plans to shoot a video for a song from PainmuseuM, if so which song would that be?
MM: Yes, there are. We are just about to complete a video for a killer track "Speak The Name" from PainmuseuM's Metal For Life album.
Did the songwriting process begin with "Halford IV" album?
MM: The line-up of Rob, Roy Z, Mike Davis, Bobby Jarzombek and myself has so much to offer musically. I can't wait for people to hear the new work we are about to undertake for Halford IV. We are compiling preliminary ideas for the album at this time.
What will be your priority in 2005? Halford, Testament, or PainmuseuM?
MM: All 3 bands are very important to me and each one will take a significant amount of my commitment this year.
Testament will finish the new studio album and tour. PainmuseuM will also do several live dates and complete a new album by the year's end. Halford will write and record the Halford IV this year as well. Between the three I'll be medicating myself with beverages that come in cold 12 oz cans. |
