GUS CHAMBERS: GRIP INC. Nearly Broke Up

In his first interview in nearly four years, GRIP INC. vocalist Gus Chambers spoke with Electricbasement.com Friday morning (Feb. 27) from Germany, recording segments for the "Power Hour" Net radio show. Chambers, whose bandmates include guitarist/keyboardist Waldemar Sorychta and drummer Dave Lombardo (SLAYER, FANTOMAS),candidly explained why the band took nearly five years to issue a follow-up to "Solidify". "To cut a long story short...the band, in 1999, nearly broke up," he revealed. "There were certain things as a musician that I needed to clarify with myself and GRIP INC. to go forward. There was a lot of fighting. Record sales were down. There was a lot of pressure from the record company to join a trend and being GRIP INC., we refused to do that." Regarding the new CD, he said. "We wanted to make this a special album. We wanted to make as cohesive album as possible...not relying on the speed of Dave or the guitar wizardry of Waldemar. I personally wanted to make this album as a GRIP INC. album." While he thinks the first band's debut, "The Power Of Inner Strength" (1995),was very much a group effort, the follow-ups, "Nemesis" (1997) and "Solidify" (1999),became the "Dave and Waldemar show." Although he says they were "great albums," he felt the group "was capable of doing a lot more and delving into more diversity of styles and becoming more accessible as a band." GRIP INC. latest, "Incorporated", drops March 9 via SPV. Hear more of the interview on the "Power Hour" (web site) starting Monday (March 1),where it can be streamed on demand for free for four weeks.