Devin Townsend, on his music:
"...everybody thinks when they hear 'Market', you know, 'Buy my stuff'- whatever, I mean, download my stuff. Go for it. Ultimately the point of why I'm doing this is so people can hear it, you know, so I can do it from a cathartic point of view."

Am I advocating piracy? Yes. Not "In a way", not "Sort of", not "In some sense"- PIRATE MUSIC YOU LOVE. Do it. Then, when you decide the record is worth buying, buy it. Don't hesitate to buy it. When you see a band you love coming to town, make every effort to go down and support them. The Defenders can attest to this- my concert ritual involves wearing an older metal shirt that I rarely wear, then buying a shirt from one of the bands at the gig and replacing it. I've never not bought a shirt at a show. In fact, I bought two at the Kreator show. I missed High on Fire at Hard Rock and still managed to buy a shirt and a lighter from their merch girl (so hot, btw- if you're reading this, kudos to you and, perhaps we could hang out?). I'm going to buy the new DTP record the day is comes out. Why? Devin is a spectacular artist who plays because he wants to- not because he can (Yngwie) or because it makes him money (Nickelback), but because the music fuels him.

My point is, a true artist will tell you that how you get their music isn't important, just that you get it. A true fan will support them in spite of that.

That's all I've got to say. Comments?

By Bradley G.

I approach the challenge of making a fantasy supergroup, the same way I would approach the creation of a football team. You have to figure out who's getting the bulk of the snaps, and if you're going to be a bass-oriented team, or rely on your guitar attack to move the chains. As a huge fan of stoner rock and sludge metal, I took the challenge into that direction.

So when thinking about the direction of the group, I wanted to break the typical dynamic of having the guitar player overshadow the whole project, which I sometimes think happens*. That's why I would want the guitar to be more of a solo-heavy, genre-specific supplement the bass -not just shredding for the whole song- but backing off to let to the bass carry most of the track, and most of the weight of the band.

*(That's just the bass player in me talking)

The concept is used for vocals as well, applying both sludge and rock vocals to the set-up, to be cranked up and backed off depending on the direction of the song. With the musicians I've rounded up, they could easily create Bolt-Thrower pounding death metal, EyeHateGod heavy sludge, or Orange Goblin-like stoner rock.

A modern day Sabbath, if I may be so bold.

Lead Vocals: Kyle Thomas
(Ex- Exhorder, Floodgate, Alabama Thunderpussy)

I'd want to bring Kyle Thomas on board to create a sense of "clean and dirty" vocals, with Thomas representing a cleaner, more rock-oriented power voice, much like in his work for ATP. Sludge should never really be clean in the traditional metal sense, but compared to the other singers in the band (Dixie) I think having a cleaner sound to front the vocals would amp up the power, leaving the weight to the drums and bass.

Guitar: Michael Amott
(Ex- Carnage, Carcass, Arch Enemy, Spiritual Beggars)

It might seem strange, but of all Michael Amott's work, I most recognize him from the band Spiritual Beggars: a style I would much want him to replicate. He has an extremely impressive body of work, which means he's very comfortable working outside of his own genre: something that shows a lot of talent in my opinion. Having very classic metal influences, I think Amott would be bring to the table a wide array of sounds to deploy in a more experimental route. He could wip out a death metal riff in one song, or a classic stoner riff in another, creating a whole arsenal of different available sounds.

Bass/Backing Vocals: Dave "Dixie" Collins
(Buzzov•en, Weedeater, Bongzilla)

I've got a pretty huge man-crush on this guy for all the bands he's in, and the bass lines he's made for Weedeater. I'm also a huge fan of his raw, vomit-inducing sludge vocals, which I think would back Thomas very well. I'd want to make his bass the front of the show too, pushing back Amott to more of soundscapes and solos (the delicious electric icing) and give the bass the bulk of the work.

Drums: Mark Greening
(Ex- Electric Wizard, Ramesses)

I've never really known much about what it takes to be a good drummer, or how to tell flash from talent. So instead, I chose a drummer who I feel is instrumental to creating a sound I like, the sound of the band Ramesses. He doesn't blanket the song with heavy kick-pedals, but always asserts the weight a drummer can bring without overpowering the other instruments. Frankly, the drummer isn't going to be the strong point of this band, but still serves as a necessary performer. Plus, I like what he can do with a cymbal.

This isn't the way to mosh.....