SLIPKNOT Guitarist, Ex-MALEVOLENT CREATION Drummer In Talks To Form 'Extreme' Band

SLIPKNOT guitarist Mick Thompson is in talks with former MALEVOLENT CREATION/SUFFOCATION drummer Dave Culross about putting together a project band "which is bound to be rather extreme," according to the skinsman. "We should be getting together in September or October in Iowa" to begin work on the material for the group's debut album, presumably not due before mid-2003 at the earliest.

In related news, Culross recently joined forces with guitarists Frank Maggio (ex-IRON LUNG, EVIL EYE, SOCIAL DISEASE) and Jason Brennan in an as-yet-unnamed new group, which is presently seeking a bassist and a vocalist.

"[The music of the new band is] not as extreme [as some of the stuff I've done in the past], but it is still based on a heavy-as-fuck guitar sound, huge drum sounds, and a bass sound similar to the motor of your average diesel truck," Culross told BLABBERMOUTH.NET. "The differences are basically tempo and the sound of the singer. We don't have a singer or bass player, yet. We have tried several of each out, but are not settling on anything short of perfect!

"The tempo of our music is much more relaxed than death metal, for the most part," the drummer added. "It would be stupid to waste my abilities by not using them, so we do have up-tempo stuff (i.e. SLIPKNOT),where I am flying on the double bass, still! But everything has a much more groove-oriented drive. The music is comparable to GODSMACK meets CROWBAR meets SLIPKNOT. I haven't thrown a blast beat in any songs yet..."

In addition to the above-mentioned projects, Culross is presently acting as President/CEO of a Hamptons, New York-based roofing and siding company, which he originally formed so that "I could go on tour and come back to a decent-paying job," said Dave. "I employ nine guys, and my company name is L.H. Home Improvements, Inc. The 'L.H.' stands for 'Long Hair'. My business partner and I still have our ponytails, doing business, looking like a couple of metalheads! But we have a great reputation, and have been in business for about a year and a half now! Swinging a hammer or using a nail gun came in pretty natural to me, but now, I do a lot more of dealing with the contractors.

"Now, since my business is well established I am focusing on the music, again. I had to work myself out of some financial problems MALEVOLENT fucked me with… I paid a bank over $10,000 for a repo'd RV MALEVOLENT was touring in (because I was the sucker with good-enough credit). None of us made much of any money while touring in it, which is why I never got paid at the time… Everyone has their story. Getting busted with weed on tour set us back a bit, too."

Although Culross is expecting to be accused of having sold out by some due to the more "commercial" nature of his current band's music as compared to his previous outfits, he offers no apologies or excuses for his present musical endeavors, stating simply "I just got frustrated with dedicating my life to something that only put me in a hole. I am still listening to death metal, but not [playing] full-time in a death band. The new ROTTEN SOUND CD, Murderworks, is killer. I can hear a bit of HATE PLOW influence as well!! How cool is that!"

Any vocalists/bassists interested in auditioning for Culross' new project should contact: [email protected]