GWAR Frontman: 'METAL BLADE Get All My Respect And Love'

August 25, 2005

GWAR frontman Dave Brockie (a.k.a. Oderus Urungus) has contacted BLABBERMOUTH.NET to clarify some of his comments made in a recent interview regarding the group's previous label, Metal Blade Records.

In an chat with Blasting-Zone.com, portions of which were republished here on August 8, Brockie had the following to say about GWAR's split with Metal Blade: "I love Metal Blade… they're a kick-ass company. We had been doin' records with them for so long, but we felt like GWAR had a lot further to go. We felt like Metal Blade didn't see that. We weren't even getting worldwide distribution anymore. We weren't going to Europe or Canada. We felt like we were on some horrible treadmill, ya know?! Like some kind of armored gerbil, we were just running ourselves into the fucking ground. No disrespect to Metal Blade, they're a great label, but we felt like they had kinda given up on us. It was like we were there just to fund all of the shitty bands on the label (laughs). We chose to sign with a label that was not very well known, but the terms of the contract were very, very sweet. Moving to DRT (Entertainment) has been a great thing for us."

Asked if he felt as if the band simply outgrew the label, Brockie said, "There were all of these other bands of the label that just sucked and then this one great, classic band. Sure, they’ve had KING DIAMOND for quite a while, but GWAR floated Metal Blade for years and years. I'm sure we built their executives many pools. We got sick of that shit, so we went somewhere else. We still hang out with (Metal Blade Records founder) Brian (Slagel) and I'm sure they’re laughing all the way to the bank. . .We've sold hundreds of thousands of records. But like the entire music industry, Metal Blade is no different than any other label. They are designed to totally rip off their artists while making it seem like they're doing them the biggest favor ever. It's that way within the recording industry, but it's also that way in every other business imaginable. Artists and musicians don't have any particular right to quell their suffering, yet they're getting ripped off and fucked up the ass constantly."

In a statement sent to BLABBERMOUTH.NET earlier today, Brockie clarified his remarks with the following:

"I did not mean to call Metal Blade a 'rip-off', I was just bitching about the unfair qualities of the industry in general. Well, apparently I succeeded in pissing off a few people at 'the Blade' that are really good friends of mine. That was never the intent or purpose. So allow me to re-state: Metal Blade is a great label, they get all my respect and love, and they have NEVER engaged in any business with GWAR that was not completely above board. I would rather be on Metal Blade than 99 percent of the labels out there, so please don't take my general tirade against the music biz as a personal attack on Metal Blade. Slagel and [Mike] Faley are two of the best friends I have ever had in the biz and I'm sorry if I offended them, they are my bros! Peace?"

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