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Interview
by Scott Sterling-Wilder
6-2-2004
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| Probot: Dave Grohl & friends at a sesh |
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Thrashing with yore idols
Foo frontman’s Metal escapade, with Max Cavalera’s help
It’s almost three years since Dave Grohl of Foo Fighters started talking about a Heavy Metal album by Probot, he was making. Who knows how far it would have gone passed the talking stage if it weren’t for a rock-chick of respectable age [i.e. nearing 50, by his recollection] who asked about the release of the album in 2002 while Dave was guest-drumming with Queens of The Stone Age.
The idea for this project was born in 1999, after the Foo’s melodious album ‘There Is Nothing Left To Lose’, which turns out to have been an ironic self-observation, made out of a fear that he “might be losing touch with the sound of the underground.” So, Grohl went to his home studio in the basement of his Virginia home and laid down half the album within three days. A couple of years later he found some more free time to finish off the instrumentals before sending them off to the variety of singers he had been fan of in his formative years.
And, the cast of vocalists is impressive, from Cronos (Venom), Max Cavalera (Soulfly, ex-Sepultura), Snake (Voivoid), King Diamond (Mercyful Fate) to Lemmy (Motorhead). What we’ve got here is an album that Grohl is at pains to explain that is not - as he told the lady who had a cameo in the first paragraph - a mainstream release, just a bit of fun, a low-key, “for-my-soul”, a curiosity disc. And true, when you look his history - Scream, Nirvana and guest spots - it may be hard to take this metal obsession.
This man, officially the friendliest/nicest/most patient specimen in rock, wanted to have some fun, to pay respect to some of his heroes and has succeeded spectacularly.
“I come from a background of spontaneous music, full of passion and energy, and whether it sounds great or not, it doesn’t really matter. If you listen to Black Flag record or The Clash record or Led Zeppelin record even, they are not perfect but they are beautiful. There is energy and passion, it is human and it is real. That’s what I like about music and after punk, my major influences are Hard Rock, Heavy and Thrash Metal… Even when we‘d be making a Foo record, I‘d go home and listen to Venom…”
“And, it was extra easy because I didn’t have to wreck my brain what to sing about, just put music down and ask vocalists to come up with the subject to songs. They all have done f**king great jobs! It really was a pleasure to be involved with this.”
‘Probot’ is really an ‘underground’ release that even had its lead-single, the double-headed ‘Centuries of Sin’/‘The Emerald Law’, released in a limited edition of 6,666 copies only.
“I’m an eternal optimist and don’t see any reason for negativity, you can do nothing from that standpoint. It’s almost like you’ve already given up, you are defeated. The state of music industry shouldn’t be a reason not to try something different… You should never let yourself jump on a bandwagon, join the latest trend.”
“I’m well aware that some people may see this as being easy for me to say but that’s the way I’ve always approached music. There was never any thought of compromise but sticking to my own guns. It was hard at times but your pride stands tall...”
Max extremism
Among the vocalists featured on the album is Max Cavalera, leader of Soufly but it is his work with Sepultura - band he co-founded and fronted until 1996 - that Grohl truly admires. The track they came up with is a corker, although the two were never in the vicinity of the same studio. We asked Cavalera, busy with completing Soufly’s fourth album, ‘Prophecy’, about the experience.
“I got call from Dave asking me if I wanted to sing on a song he had written especially for me. I was flattered and gladly accepted, as I had already heard about the Probot project… But, we were never in a studio together; he sent me the tape and I told him I was going to call it ’Red War’, after a film I had watched.”
“It all turned out to be very easy: I went into the same studio in Phoenix, I used for ‘Soulfly 3’, one day and tried some ideas. All the music was written, I didn’t have to do anything but simply sing to the track… It made my job much easier; I sent the tape back and he called me back to say he liked it and everyone is happy.”
It isn’t only Dave who is a fan, Max follows Grohl’s ever diversifying catalogue as well.
“Oh, very much so, I know it all… I’m very familiar with Dave’s style, I know Nirvana and Foo Fighters’ record, I know his work with Queens of The Stone Age, but it was also the case of this song being tailor-made for me; the idea was to write songs for specific vocalists to do, what Dave thought we do the best. So, it made is to much easy to do the vocal… If it were a song that was completely different to my style, that would have complicated the process.”
“It could also be a bit tricky to put lyrics to already set music because it restricts the emotion, its passion is already determined… So, I had to toy with few ideas for a few days, played the CD over and over and found that imagery from the movie I had just seen, it helped me a lot. It was handy that I had just seen the movie.”
“It was a great coincidence and I believe in them. I was on a flight from New York and they had it on the plane, it’s not that I choose to watch it by renting or buying it… I just happened to pick ‘The Man Who Would Be King’ and it really impressed me. The other thing that I find extremely freaky is that I did the lyrics a week before 9/11 that’s led to the Iraqi war.”
“I was really freaked out to have written this song a week before… No, I didn’t write this song about 9/11 but before and that’s the most frightening thing, if you ask me. Spooky, man, very spooky.”
Jam lovin'
Touring this album is going to be very complex because all these vocalists have own projects to take care of. But, there is hope that Probot will at least do one-off show and it is believed that everyone involved would turn up, thinking like Cavalera, “I’m willing to show up and perform the song and then jam with the guys…”
Back to Grohl who is full of music ideas that, despite due to have some serious time off, he’ll be bound to explore very soon [such as recently producing Rye Coalition]. The official word on the new Foo Fighters album is - there’s not going to be one this year. But, the ‘Rock’s Nicest Band’ may well drop one before the 2004 ends, if Dave gets itchy fingers. And there is also that collaboration with Chick Corea for Grammy Awards on Sunday night.
Which is not the first time for unusual collaborations: Grohl’s guest appearances include Queens of The Stone Age, David Bowie, Cat Power, Killing Joke, to name but four; these guest spots tilt balance toward hosts, while Probot with its set up… And yet, he doesn’t mind not being completely in creative control.
“No problem, it’s part of the same process… It’s a pleasure to do and I always feel like I am in a band, with a group of people creating something collectively; and, in bands, responsibility should become shared, you know. It’s cool, I mean, the transition now is not as difficult as it was when I went form being a drummer to being a singer. You know, I missed playing the drums for 8 years and then went and did the Queens’ thing, and felt really good about it.”
Every since then this man seems to have become rejuvenated, revitalized and ready to rock to the limit! A blessed journeyman?
Scott Sterling-Wilder
6-2-2004
‘Probot’ is released on 09 February 2004 on Southern Lord Recordings and will be available on both CD and double-vinyl formats.
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