GENE HOGLAN: STRAPPING YOUNG LAD Is On 'Extended Hiatus'

STRAPPING YOUNG LAD drummer Gene Hoglan (ex-DARK ANGEL, DEATH) has issued the following update:

"I know it's been a million years since I wrote one of these, but, I just didn't have a goddamned thing to say. But, now I do.

"This past year has been a strange one, but no stranger than the last nine. All the typical band b.s., all the weird road stuff, all the feelings of impending doom, have seemed to kinda just wash away over the last bit of time.

"STRAPPING is on this extended hiatus, and by 'extended' I mean we'll get back together if the time is right. It could be a few months or a year, or it could be never. I sure as fuck don't know. It ain't up to me. So don't ask.

"I'd like to publicly wish my bro Devin [Townsend, STRAPPING mainman] and his lovely wife Tracy congratulations on the birth of their firstborn. He's an adorable-lookin' little boy, and I tell ya, the pic Dev sent me of him holding his niblet for the first time is pretty priceless. Dev is looking at his son like he's a BOMB. The look on Dev's face! Man, oh man...

"I'm basically here to tell everyone that this upcoming 2007 is going to be a rather busy one for me. I just got back from Chicago, where I spent a month giving my friend Paul private drum lessons, and for those of you who are considering hiring me for the same, I start at five figures, just so you know. It was a great experience, and Paul and I are throwing around the idea of making it a once-a-year proposition. Neat!

"While I was there, I tracked a VAN HAGAR song for a band called ASYLUM, whose debut record will be out in the coming months. 'Get Up' off '5150' was the tune, and I ripped it up pretty good on that one. For those 12 million metalheads who DON'T follow VAN HAGAR (like me),it's probably the most speed metal tune they've ever done. Lotsa haulin', non-stop double-bass, and Alex is on fire ('On Fire', now there's a stormer!),and I tried to be, too. I think it came out well. They've got the impressive Kevin Talley playing on the majority of their record, so expect some good stuff from those guys.

"Upon touching down from Chicago, I went directly into the studio with an ooooolllldd friend, Michelle Meldrum, to track three tunes for her upcoming album. Michelle was my first 'real' guitarist, and we were in WARGOD together when we were teenagers. I eventually moved on to DARK ANGEL, and she to PHANTOM BLUE. It was totally awesome working together again, after 20 years! MELDRUM is her band's name, and they are based outta Sweden of all places. A lot of you have heard of her or followed the band, I'm sure. She's got two other hotties in the band, singer Moa, and bassist Frida, and let me tell you, you get three broads together in their element, and they get RAUNCHY! It was hilarious! Y'know guys, when your old lady tells ya, 'Believe me, girls are waaayyy worse than guys when it's just us around,' dude, BELIEVE 'em! From Moa regaling us with stories of poppin' her eye out, to her lip-tattoo that USED to say 'Killer Fluffer,' which has mostly rubbed off and now merely reads, 'ill Flu.' HAHAHA! It was a great time, and these girls are the shit. Lemmy is making an appearance on the record, too, and they have a tour lined up for next year with MOTÖRHEAD, so keep yer eyes peeled.

"As I mentioned before, 2007 is gonna be a hectic one.

"When I get back up to Vancouver in mid-November, I start preparing my very first drum DVD. It's gonna be kick-ass! Just me playin' and preachin' 'The Hoglan Method' ('The Hoglan Method', that's hiliarious! 'Okay, kid, ya wanna learn how to play drums? Well, first off, put down your sticks for six months, and learn to master JUGGLING! It'll be great for your chops. No, really!'). I've got a general gameplan for the first one, and all the minutiae of what makes me ME will be covered, but, as I have not commenced filming yet, I suppose I am open to suggestions. Chances are, I'll already be covering anything all you drummers out there might care to know, but ya never know, I could miss something. I'll also be starting a sorta FAQ blogspace over on Myspace, because alot of folks wanna know the same things, and that might be a little easier to access than me personally. I'll also be releasing my own 'Gene merch' in the coming months, because your wardrobe just ain't gonna be complete without my face staring out of your closet. Or, if you're like me, your pile of clothes on the floor. So now, I get to say, 'Hey, ya fuckheads! Buy a Gene shirt!'

"There's a bunch of other stuff in the works that will become finalized in the next little while, and when it does, I'll let everyone in on it, but a few things I intend to do in the near future are, when I release the DVD, sometime deep into next year, I am going on a clinic tour. Of the world. The U.S., Europe, Asia, Australia, and hopefully South America, if clinic tours fly down there. I'm going to tour that thing like it's a record.

"Dev and I are gonna be getting together in the next few months and laying some tracks down together, which I always look forward to. We're not sure what it's gonna be like, but I'm sure it'll be awesome. I'm also gonna be doing sessions, big-time. I'm gonna be having to squeeze a lot of those in, with the schedule being what it is, and I'm not going to come cheap, by any means, so for those of you who are interested in contacting me about session work, please understand that. I'll listen to all serious offers, and accommodate what I can, and hopefully your schedules will be flexible. There's a good possibility I'll be available for some touring as well, but the deal's gotta be right.

"Before I split, I just want to mention that I saw CRYPTOPSY play while I was in Chicago, and I will say it again: Flo Mounier is THE MAN! Oh my God, his playing is mind-bogglng. It really does leave me speechless. Now, those who know me know how hard I preach Tomas, Tony, Derek, Nicholas, Tim, George, Bobby J., and all the other deadly extreme drummers, but Flo really is on top of his game, and really has to be untouchable in terms of precision, technicality, and taste. Wow, just wow. He's got his DVD out now, too, 'Flo Mounier's Extreme Metal Drumming 101', and it's REAL comprehensive, and well worth the dough, so check it out, and help keep a fellow musician outta the chow line. And, his clinic tour starts up real soon, so go see Flo rip your face off from three paces. I know I will.

"Well, that's about it for now, folks. Hope yer all well, and I'll pump a few more of these out soon. I promise this time."