OBITUARY Frontman Discusses Label Switch

Dave Fonseca of MetalReview.com recently conducted an interview with OBITUARY frontman John Tardy. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow:

MetalReview.com: Was there ever any point during that three or four year time period where you weren't making music, and especially when you came back and made "Frozen In Time" and Roadrunner just dropped the ball that you thought maybe you weren't going to do this stuff anymore?

John Tardy: No. There wasn't ever that feeling. Before we took that extended break there we really had planned to take a three or four month break from music. Then it wound up being six months, then it wound up being a year, and then it wound up being two years. Roadrunner wasn't coming our way with anything, as normal. They certainly weren't any help with anything. It wasn't like we were having our phones ringing off the hook with people trying to get us to do things. There was really nothing coming our way and individually we all got busy doing different things. It just seemed to make more sense at the time. Some of us were still involved with music like Donald drumming for ANDREW W.K., and some of us were just busy doing other things. It was just a fast six years that went by. It wasn't like we weren't talking, we'd still get together and this and that, but we just didn't feel inspired to do anything. And we just finally got together because somebody asked us if we wanted to do a show, so we decided to start jamming a little bit. All it took was that one practice to start learning some old songs again. And because we had not played together in so long and everybody just had so many ideas that "Frozen In Time" came together absolutely in a blink of an eye. That's carried over to the new album as well, because we have just so much stuff stockpiled from the six years off. The songs just came together effortlessly as far as the music is concerned.

MetalReview.com: It must be hard to get attention when you're on a label like Roadrunner that has huge acts on its roster like NICKELBACK, SLIPKNOT, and KILLSWITCH ENGAGE. Is it nice to finally be a priority again on Candlelight?

John Tardy: It is. And that's one of the main reasons we signed with Candlelight — because we would be such a priority for them. I do not understand what Roadrunner's deal is. For such a huge label for them to just shut down and focus on one band when that band starts doing good is just ridiculous.

MetalReview.com: One more Roadrunner question and then I'll put that baby to bed.

John Tardy: No, that's O.K. If you're running a label and you sign a band and you make a commitment to help them further themselves, you can't just start ignoring them when one of your other bands starts selling more records, and leave the other band hanging there. And, I don't care if that's what you're going to do, but if you are going to do that, at least tell me to go elsewhere where I'd be better off. We'd question them and be like, "Hey we're ready to do this new album if you don't want to do it and don't want to take the time we'll go elsewhere," and they'd say, "Oh no, we're gonna do it, we're gonna push it," and promise this and promise that, and then the album comes out and they just totally leave you hanging. That's what makes it worse than anything. So, if you're gonna try and be this quote unquote big record label, then do your job. Nobody expects them to spend as much on one of their small bands as they do on NICKELBACK per se, but at the same time if you have that small band that you signed, that you have a contract with, and you agreed to; you owe them a minimum amount of effort. Don't just leave them hangin'. It's just not fair.

MetalReview.com: That was a label I grew up with a lot of faith in. A lot of my favorite bands were on Roadrunner. Is there any point you can track where they started to lose faith in metal and start going for the bigger acts?

John Tardy: With us it started slowly after "Cause of Death". "The End Complete" wasn't bad, but really since then, and with stuff like "Back From the Dead", it's been a steady decline in effort on their part. I'd be the first one to sit here and say, "Hey that album sucked," but we were steadily giving them a quality product as far as OBITUARY and our music is concerned. I mean, you don't read about our albums where people are saying 'this album sucks' and this and that. It really seems to me that after "The End Complete" or during "The End Complete" is really where the effort ended on their part, as far as I'm concerned.

MetalReview.com: "Slowly We Rot" came out in 1989 and you guys have been together since 1985. Death metal has changed a lot since then. Do you have any interest in the new stuff or do you just listen to "Show No Mercy" and "Morbid Tales" and call it a day.

John Tardy: Wow, have you been reading some of my interviews? [laughs] I think a lot of the reason this band gets along so well is that we're all kind of stuck in the past, we're all kind of stuck in a rut. We all kind of look and act the same way we always have. We don't really change that much. And musically that's true too. When I listen to music, whether it is metal or not, it is usually all older stuff. I'm not sure why, I guess when I get bored of them. I'll find something newer. Until then, my "Hell Awaits" record is still gonna get played.

MetalReview.com: Do you like the new CELTIC FROST record; are you into it?

John Tardy: Uhhhhh, it's a better effort for the most part and it's got a couple of good songs on there, but there's still just something a little weird about it. It's definitely a lot better than the last couple of things they've done, that's for sure.

MetalReview.com: I'd like to see you guys tour together, that'd be fun.

John Tardy: We just played a festival with them. And it was kinda neat because DESTRUCTION's dressing room was on one side of us, and CELTIC FROST's dressing room was on the other side of us. So, that was kind of cool.

Read the entire interview at MetalReview.com.